Description
actionpack/lib/action_view/lookup_context.rb in Action View in Ruby on Rails 3.x before 3.2.16 and 4.x before 4.0.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) via a header containing an invalid MIME type that leads to excessive caching.
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 7 | ruby-actionpack-3.2 | 3.2.6-6+deb7u1 | DSA-2888-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 1 | ruby193-rubygem-actionpack +1 | 1:3.2.8-5.1.el6 | RHSA-2013:1794 |
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat OpenStack 3 | ruby193-rubygem-actionpack +1 | 1:3.2.8-5.1.el6 | RHSA-2014:0008 |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
Third-party code, not reviewed by us. Public PoCs are sometimes fake or contain malware. Read the code first and run it only in an isolated lab, against systems you are authorised to test.
Metasploit 1 module
-
Ruby on Rails Action View MIME Memory Exhaustion
auxiliary/dos/http/rails_action_view
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RubyGems | actionpack | >= 3.0.0, < 3.2.16 | 3.2.16 | GHSA-mpxf-gcw2-pw5q |
| RubyGems | actionpack | >= 4.0.0, < 4.0.2 | 4.0.2 | GHSA-mpxf-gcw2-pw5q |
Advisories 3
- RHSA-2014:0008 Red Hat Security Advisory: ruby193-rubygem-actionpack security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 29, 2026
- RHSA-2013:1794 Red Hat Security Advisory: ruby193-rubygem-actionpack security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 29, 2026
- DSA-2888-1 ruby-actionpack-3.2 - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
References
- RHSA-2014:0008 vendor-advisory
- openSUSE-SU-2013:1906 vendor-advisory
- 57836 third-party-advisory
- openSUSE-SU-2014:0009 vendor-advisory
- openSUSE-SU-2013:1907 vendor-advisory
- openSUSE-SU-2013:1904 vendor-advisory
- https://puppet.com/security/cve/cve-2013-6414
- http://weblog.rubyonrails.org/2013/12/3/Rails_3_2_16_and_4_0_2_have_been_released/
- [ruby-security-ann] 20131203 [CVE-2013-6414] Denial of Service Vulnerability in Action View mailing-list
- RHSA-2014:1863 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2013:1794 vendor-advisory
- http://www.getchef.com/blog/2014/04/09/enterprise-chef-11-1-3-release/
- DSA-2888 vendor-advisory