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rails-ujs vulnerable to DOM Based Cross-site Scripting contenteditable HTML Elements

Moderate severity GitHub Reviewed Published Jun 9, 2023 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Jan 9, 2025

Package

bundler actionview (RubyGems)

Affected versions

>= 5.1.0, < 6.1.7.3
>= 7.0.0, < 7.0.4.3

Patched versions

6.1.7.3
7.0.4.3

Description

NOTE: rails-ujs is part of Rails/actionview since 5.1.0.

There is a potential DOM based cross-site scripting issue in rails-ujs
which leverages the Clipboard API to target HTML elements that are
assigned the contenteditable attribute. This has the potential to
occur when pasting malicious HTML content from the clipboard that
includes a data-method, data-remote or data-disable-with attribute.

This vulnerability has been assigned the CVE identifier CVE-2023-23913.

Not affected: < 5.1.0
Versions Affected: >= 5.1.0
Fixed Versions: 6.1.7.3, 7.0.4.3

Impact
If the specified malicious HTML clipboard content is provided to a
contenteditable element, this could result in the arbitrary execution
of javascript on the origin in question.

Releases
The FIXED releases are available at the normal locations.

Workarounds
We recommend that all users upgrade to one of the FIXED versions.
In the meantime, users can attempt to mitigate this vulnerability
by removing the contenteditable attribute from elements in pages
that rails-ujs will interact with.

Patches
To aid users who aren’t able to upgrade immediately we have provided
patches for the two supported release series. They are in git-am
format and consist of a single changeset.

  • rails-ujs-data-method-contenteditable-6-1.patch - Patch for 6.1 series
  • rails-ujs-data-method-contenteditable-7-0.patch - Patch for 7.0 series

Please note that only the 7.0.Z and 6.1.Z series are
supported at present, and 6.0.Z for severe vulnerabilities.

Users of earlier unsupported releases are advised to upgrade as
soon as possible as we cannot guarantee the continued availability
of security fixes for unsupported releases.

Credits
We would like to thank ryotak 15 for reporting this!

  • rails-ujs-data-method-contenteditable-6-1.patch (8.5 KB)
  • rails-ujs-data-method-contenteditable-7-0.patch (8.5 KB)
  • rails-ujs-data-method-contenteditable-main.patch (8.9 KB)

References

Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Jun 9, 2023
Reviewed Jun 9, 2023
Published by the National Vulnerability Database Jan 9, 2025
Last updated Jan 9, 2025

Severity

Moderate

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
Low

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

EPSS score

0.045%
(18th percentile)

Weaknesses

CVE ID

CVE-2023-23913

GHSA ID

GHSA-xp5h-f8jf-rc8q

Source code

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