Description
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the strip_tags helper in actionpack/lib/action_controller/vendor/html-scanner/html/node.rb in Ruby on Rails before 2.3.13, 3.0.x before 3.0.10, and 3.1.x before 3.1.0.rc5 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a tag with an invalid name.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | rails | 2.3.14 | — |
| Debian 13 | rails | 2.3.14 | — |
| Debian 12 | rails | 2.3.14 | — |
| Debian 6.0 | rails | 2.3.5-1.2+squeeze1 | DSA-2301-1 |
| Debian 5.0 | rails | 2.1.0-7+lenny1 | DSA-2301-1 |
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RubyGems | actionpack | >= 2.0.0, < 2.3.13 | 2.3.13 | GHSA-v5jg-558j-q67c |
| RubyGems | actionpack | >= 3.0.0, < 3.0.10 | 3.0.10 | GHSA-v5jg-558j-q67c |
Advisories 1
- DSA-2301-1 rails - several Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
References
- [rubyonrails-security] 20110816 XSS Vulnerability in strip_tags helper mailing-list
- [oss-security] 20110817 CVE request: ruby on rails flaws (4) mailing-list
- [oss-security] 20110822 Re: CVE request: ruby on rails flaws (4) mailing-list
- FEDORA-2011-11386 vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2011-11567 vendor-advisory
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=731436
- [oss-security] 20110819 Re: CVE request: ruby on rails flaws (4) mailing-list
- DSA-2301 vendor-advisory
- 45921 third-party-advisory
- [oss-security] 20110820 Re: CVE request: ruby on rails flaws (4) mailing-list
- FEDORA-2011-11572 vendor-advisory
- [oss-security] 20110822 Re: CVE request: ruby on rails flaws (4) mailing-list
- https://github.com/rails/rails/commit/586a944ddd4d03e66dea1093306147594748037a
- [oss-security] 20110822 Re: CVE request: ruby on rails flaws (4) mailing-list
- http://weblog.rubyonrails.org/2011/8/16/ann-rails-3-1-0-rc6