Stack Buffer Overflow and Use-After-Free in Nokogiri

Executive Summary

Nokogiri before 1.18.3 has a stack buffer overflow in libxml2 when reporting DTD validation errors with long QName prefixes. It also has a use-after-free vulnerability during validation against untrusted XML Schemas. Attackers can exploit these by providing malicious DTD content or untrusted XSD files to cause denial of service or potential code execution.

Useful 0 Not Useful 0

Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, check the installed version of Nokogiri using the command: gem list nokogiri. If the version is below 1.18.3, the system is vulnerable. Additionally, inspect XML processing workflows for DTD validation errors or untrusted XSD files.

Useful 0 Not Useful 0

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can lead to denial of service or potential code execution if exploited. Attackers could crash applications or run arbitrary code by providing specially crafted XML content.

Useful 0 Not Useful 0

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could potentially impact compliance with GDPR and HIPAA by enabling denial of service attacks or code execution through malicious XML processing. Unauthorized data access or system disruption may violate data protection requirements under these regulations.

Useful 0 Not Useful 0

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade Nokogiri to version 1.18.3 or later using the command: gem install nokogiri -v 1.18.3. This updates the bundled libxml2 dependency to 2.13.6, addressing the stack buffer overflow and use-after-free vulnerabilities.

Useful 0 Not Useful 0