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CVE-2009-2422· NVD / CVE Program· CNA mitre

The example code for the digest authentication functionality (http_authentication.rb) in Ruby on Rails before 2.3.3 defines an authenticate_

The example code for the digest authentication functionality (http_authentication.rb) in Ruby on Rails before 2.3.3 defines an authenticate_or_request_with_http_digest block that returns nil instead of false when the user does not exist, which allows context-dependent attackers to bypass authentication for applications that are derived from this example by sending an invalid username without a password.

CriticalCVSS 9.8 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available

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Published
Jul 10, 2009
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
3.4% · 88th percentile
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Report tools

JSON

Action score

40

Plan

Add it to your regular patch cycle.

CVSS
39 / 40 · 9.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
1 / 30 · 3.4%

Affected systems

VendorProduct
rubyonrailsruby on rails
applemac os x
applemac os x server

Affected versions

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

  • apple mac os x10.6.0 and later · before 10.6.3
  • apple mac os x10.5.8
  • apple mac os x server10.6.0 and later · before 10.6.3
  • apple mac os x server10.5.8
  • rubyonrails ruby on railsbefore 2.3.3

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12railsbefore 2.3.5-12.3.5-1
RubyGemsrailsbefore 2.3.32.3.3

Same product

rubyonrails: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2017-17920SQL injection vulnerability in the 'reorder' method in Ruby on Rails 5.1.4 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL comm
    32Monitor
  • CVE-2017-17919SQL injection vulnerability in the 'order' method in Ruby on Rails 5.1.4 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL comman
    32Monitor

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:rails2.3.5-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
RubyGems:rails2.3.3Package 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.

No commit or PR link among the references.

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

The product’s vendor appears in a public program. Matched by name; verify the scope text in the program.

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
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-287 · Improper Authentication

CVSS vector

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

nvd-primary

Root cause

Authentication is added route by route instead of being enforced in one place. When a route added later bypasses the shared middleware, the session check never runs for it.

The bug in code

The whole CWE-287 class

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

Vulnerable

ts
app.use("/admin", requireSession, adminRouter);
// Route added later skips the middlewareapp.post("/admin-api/config", updateConfig);

Fixed

ts
const admin = express.Router();admin.use(requireSession, requireRole("admin"));
admin.post("/config", updateConfig);app.use("/admin", admin);

Attack context

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

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