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CVE-2020-5217· NVD / CVE Program· CNA GitHub_M

Directive injection when using dynamic overrides with user input in RubyGems secure_headers

In Secure Headers (RubyGem secure_headers), a directive injection vulnerability is present in versions before 3.8.0, 5.1.0, and 6.2.0. If user-supplied input was passed into append/override_content_security_policy_directives, a semicolon could be injected leading to directive injection. This could be used to e.g. override a script-src directive. Duplicate directives are ignored and the first one wins. The directives in secure_headers are sorted alphabetically so they pretty much all come before script-src. A previously undefined directive would receive a value even if SecureHeaders::OPT_OUT was supplied. The fixed versions will silently convert the semicolons to spaces and emit a deprecation warning when this happens. This will result in innocuous browser console messages if being exploited/accidentally used. In future releases, we will raise application errors resulting in 500s. Depending on what major version you are using, the fixed versions are 6.2.0, 5.1.0, 3.8.0.

MediumCVSS 5.8 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Jan 22, 2020
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
1.8% · 78th percentile
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Report tools

JSON

Action score

24

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
23 / 40 · 5.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
1 / 30 · 1.8%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
5.8
CNA · GitHub_M
4.4
1.4 point gap

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Affected systems

VendorProduct
twittersecure headers

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • twitter secure headersbefore 3.8.0
  • twitter secure headers5.0.0 and later · before 5.1.0
  • twitter secure headers6.0.0 and later · before 6.2.0

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Twitter secure_headers

    • < 3.8.0, >= 5.0.0, < 5.1.0, >= 6.0.0, < 6.2.0affected

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12ruby-secure-headersbefore 6.3.1-16.3.1-1
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7ansible-collection-redhat-satellitebefore 0:1.3.0-1.el7sat0:1.3.0-1.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7ansible-runnerbefore 0:1.4.6-1.el7ar0:1.4.6-1.el7ar
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7ansiblerole-foreman_scap_clientbefore 0:0.0.5-1.el7sat0:0.0.5-1.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7ansiblerole-insights-clientbefore 0:1.7.1-1.el7sat0:1.7.1-1.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7ansiblerole-satellite-receptor-installerbefore 0:0.6.13-1.el7sat0:0.6.13-1.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7crane-selinuxbefore 0:3.4.0-1.el7sat0:3.4.0-1.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7createrepo_cbefore 0:0.7.4-1.el7sat0:0.7.4-1.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7createrepo_c-debuginfobefore 0:0.7.4-1.el7sat0:0.7.4-1.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7createrepo_c-libsbefore 0:0.7.4-1.el7sat0:0.7.4-1.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7foremanbefore 0:2.1.2.19-1.el7sat0:2.1.2.19-1.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7foreman-bootloaders-redhatbefore 0:202005201200-1.el7sat0:202005201200-1.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7foreman-bootloaders-redhat-tftpbootbefore 0:202005201200-1.el7sat0:202005201200-1.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7foreman-debugbefore 0:2.1.2.19-1.el7sat0:2.1.2.19-1.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7foreman-discovery-imagebefore 1:3.6.7-1.el7sat1:3.6.7-1.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7foreman-discovery-image-servicebefore 0:1.0.0-3.el7sat0:1.0.0-3.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7foreman-discovery-image-service-tuibefore 0:1.0.0-3.el7sat0:1.0.0-3.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7foreman-installerbefore 1:2.1.2.8-1.el7sat1:2.1.2.8-1.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7foreman-installer-katellobefore 1:2.1.2.8-1.el7sat1:2.1.2.8-1.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7foreman-proxybefore 0:2.1.2-2.el7sat0:2.1.2-2.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7foreman-proxy-contentbefore 0:3.16.0-1.el7sat0:3.16.0-1.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7foreman-proxy-journaldbefore 0:2.1.2-2.el7sat0:2.1.2-2.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7futurebefore 0:0.16.0-11.el7sat0:0.16.0-11.el7sat
Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7goferbefore 0:2.12.5-7.el7sat0:2.12.5-7.el7sat

+96

Same product

twitter: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2020-5216Limited header injection when using dynamic overrides with user input in RubyGems secure_headers
    23Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
debian:ruby-secure-headers6.3.1-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ansible-collection-redhat-satellite0:1.3.0-1.el7sat · Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ansible-runner0:1.4.6-1.el7ar · Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ansiblerole-foreman_scap_client0:0.0.5-1.el7sat · Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ansiblerole-insights-client0:1.7.1-1.el7sat · Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ansiblerole-satellite-receptor-installer0:0.6.13-1.el7sat · Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:crane-selinux0:3.4.0-1.el7sat · Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:createrepo_c0:0.7.4-1.el7sat · Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:createrepo_c-debuginfo0:0.7.4-1.el7sat · Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:createrepo_c-libs0:0.7.4-1.el7sat · Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:foreman0:2.1.2.19-1.el7sat · Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:foreman-bootloaders-redhat0:202005201200-1.el7sat · Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:foreman-bootloaders-redhat-tftpboot0:202005201200-1.el7sat · Red Hat:satellite_capsule:6.8::el7Package registry (OSV)
RubyGems:secure_headers3.8.0Package registry (OSV)
RubyGems:secure_headers5.1.0Package registry (OSV)
RubyGems:secure_headers6.2.0Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
low · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
none

Impact can extend beyond the vulnerable component (scope changes).

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
Low
Availability impact
None

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-95 · Improper Neutralization of Directives in Dynamically Evaluated Code ('Eval Injection')

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.

We use this product, ask for help

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records