CVE-2011-2197: The cross-site scripting (XSS) prevention feature in Ruby on Rails 2.x before 2.3.12, 3.0.x before 3.0.8, and 3.1.x before 3.1.0.rc2 does…
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 18/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 1.9% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 80.6% of all records.
- Fixed version: actionpack (RubyGems) 2.3.12, 3.0.8; activesupport (RubyGems) 2.3.12, 3.0.8.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to actionpack (RubyGems) 2.3.12, 3.0.8; activesupport (RubyGems) 2.3.12, 3.0.8 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
The cross-site scripting (XSS) prevention feature in Ruby on Rails 2.x before 2.3.12, 3.0.x before 3.0.8, and 3.1.x before 3.1.0.rc2 does not properly handle mutation of safe buffers, which makes it easier for remote attackers to conduct XSS attacks via crafted strings to an application that uses a problematic string method, as demonstrated by the sub method.
- Published
- Jun 30, 2011
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 1.9% · 80th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-79
Report tools
Action score
18
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 17 / 40 · 4.3 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 1.9%
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
Limit the impact of XSSCheck security headers
Is your version affected? Check itNoroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| rubyonrails | rails | cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails |
| rubyonrails | ruby on rails | cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:ruby_on_rails |
Limit the impact of XSS
This is a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability. A well-configured Content-Security-Policy doesn't fix it, but greatly reduces its impact. Check your site's CSP and other security headers for free.
Check security headersAffected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- rubyonrails rails2.0.0
- rubyonrails rails2.0.1
- rubyonrails rails2.0.2
- rubyonrails rails2.0.4
- rubyonrails rails2.1.0
- rubyonrails rails2.1.1
- rubyonrails rails2.1.2
- rubyonrails rails2.2.0
+12 more rows
- rubyonrails rails2.2.1
- rubyonrails rails2.2.2
- rubyonrails rails2.3.10
- rubyonrails rails2.3.11
- rubyonrails rails2.3.2
- rubyonrails rails2.3.3
- rubyonrails rails2.3.4
- rubyonrails rails2.3.9
- rubyonrails rails3.0.0
- rubyonrails rails3.0.1
- rubyonrails rails3.0.2
- rubyonrails rails3.0.3
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| RubyGems | actionpack | from 2.0.0 · before 2.3.12 | 2.3.12 |
| RubyGems | actionpack | from 3.0.0 · before 3.0.8 | 3.0.8 |
| RubyGems | activesupport | from 2.0.0 · before 2.3.12 | 2.3.12 |
| RubyGems | activesupport | from 3.0.0 · before 3.0.8 | 3.0.8 |
Same product
rubyonrails: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2019-5418There is a File Content Disclosure vulnerability in Action View <5.2.2.1, <5.1.6.2, <5.0.7.2, <4.2.11.1 and v3 where specially crafted…KEV90Now
- CVE-2016-0752Directory traversal vulnerability in Action View in Ruby on Rails before 3.2.22.1, 4.0.x and 4.1.x before 4.1.14.1, 4.2.x before 4.2.5.1…KEV89Now
- CVE-2019-5420A remote code execution vulnerability in development mode Rails <5.2.2.1, <6.0.0.beta3 can allow an attacker to guess the automatically…66This week
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2011-0448Feb 21, 2011 · Ruby on Rails 3.0.x before 3.0.4 does not ensure that arguments to the limit function specify integer values, which makes it easier for…31Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2011-0449Feb 21, 2011 · actionpack/lib/action_view/template/resolver.rb in Ruby on Rails 3.0.x before 3.0.4, when a case-insensitive filesystem is used, does not…31Monitor
- Later →CVE-2011-2929Aug 29, 2011 · The template selection functionality in actionpack/lib/action_view/template/resolver.rb in Ruby on Rails 3.0.x before 3.0.10 and 3.1.x…21Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| RubyGems:actionpack | 2.3.12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| RubyGems:actionpack | 3.0.8 | Package registry (OSV) |
| RubyGems:activesupport | 2.3.12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| RubyGems:activesupport | 3.0.8 | Package 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.
Bug bounty scope
The product’s vendor appears in a public program. Matched by name; verify the scope text in the program.
Not on record for this CVE: EPSS history · patch commit or PR link · researcher credit · variant or chain candidate.
Technical details
Attack conditions
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- P · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- none
- Attack complexity
- M
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- P
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-79 · Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')CVSS vector
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N
nvd-primary
Root cause
User content is inserted into the page as HTML. The browser interprets the content as code rather than data.
The bug in code
The whole CWE-79 classA representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.
Vulnerable
commentEl.innerHTML = comment.body;Fixed
commentEl.textContent = comment.body;Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
—
Change log (1)
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (6 more)Show less
- lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-announce/2011-July/062514.html
- lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-announce/2011-June/062090.html
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/06/09/2
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/06/13/9
- secunia.com/advisories/44789
- weblog.rubyonrails.org/2011/6/8/potential-xss-vulnerability-in-ruby-on-rails-applications
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.