CVE-2024-43398: rexml — Fix

Description

REXML is an XML toolkit for Ruby. The REXML gem before 3.3.6 has a DoS vulnerability when it parses an XML that has many deep elements that have same local name attributes. If you need to parse untrusted XMLs with tree parser API like REXML::Document.new, you may be impacted to this vulnerability. If you use other parser APIs such as stream parser API and SAX2 parser API, this vulnerability is not affected. The REXML gem 3.3.6 or later include the patch to fix the vulnerability.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

5.9

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-776 CWE-776

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
ruby-lang	rexml	< 3.3.6
netapp	bootstrap_os	All
netapp	hci_compute_node	All

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/ruby/rexml/security/advisories/GHSA-vmwr-mc7x-5vc3

Other References

https://github.com/ruby/rexml/releases/tag/v3.3.6 https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00011.html https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20250103-0006/

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-43398? +

REXML is an XML toolkit for Ruby. The REXML gem before 3.3.6 has a DoS vulnerability when it parses an XML that has many deep elements that have same local name attributes. If you need to parse untrusted XMLs with tree parser API like REXML::Document.new, you may be impacted to this vulnerability. If you use other parser APIs such as stream parser API and SAX2 parser API, this vulnerability is not affected. The REXML gem 3.3.6 or later include the patch to fix the vulnerability. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.9 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2024-43398? +

CVE-2024-43398 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.9 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

What products are affected by CVE-2024-43398? +

CVE-2024-43398 affects products from netapp, ruby-lang, specifically: bootstrap_os, hci_compute_node, rexml. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2024-43398? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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