What is CVE-2014-2538?

CVE-2014-2538 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in rack-ssl (rubygems), affecting versions < 1.4.0. It is fixed in 1.4.0. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.

Which versions of rack-ssl are affected by CVE-2014-2538?

rack-ssl (rubygems) versions < 1.4.0 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2014-2538?

Yes. CVE-2014-2538 is fixed in 1.4.0. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2014-2538 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2014-2538 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

What actually determines whether CVE-2014-2538 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

CVE-2014-2538 in rack-ssl

Q: Which versions of rack-ssl are affected by CVE-2014-2538?

rack-ssl (rubygems) versions < 1.4.0 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2014-2538?

Yes. CVE-2014-2538 is fixed in 1.4.0. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2014-2538 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2014-2538 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2014-2538 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2014-2538?

Upgrade rack-ssl to 1.4.0 or later.

CVE-2014-2538

CVE-2014-2538 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in rack-ssl (rubygems), affecting versions < 1.4.0. It is fixed in 1.4.0.

Does this CVE actually affect you?

Kodem shows which CVEs are reachable and running in your applications, so you fix what's exploitable, not just what's listed.

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Runtime intelligence, not another scanner.

Summary

rack-ssl Cross-site Scripting vulnerability

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in lib/rack/ssl.rb in the rack-ssl gem before 1.4.0 for Ruby allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a URI, which might not be properly handled by third-party adapters such as JRuby-Rack.

Impact

Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session. Typical impact: session or credential theft, and actions taken as the user.

Affected versions

rack-ssl (< 1.4.0)

Security releases

rack-ssl → 1.4.0 (rubygems)

Kodem intelligence

Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.

Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.

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Remediation advice

Upgrade rack-ssl to 1.4.0 or later to resolve this vulnerability.

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2014-2538? CVE-2014-2538 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in rack-ssl (rubygems), affecting versions < 1.4.0. It is fixed in 1.4.0. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.
Which versions of rack-ssl are affected by CVE-2014-2538? rack-ssl (rubygems) versions < 1.4.0 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2014-2538? Yes. CVE-2014-2538 is fixed in 1.4.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2014-2538 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2014-2538 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
What actually determines whether CVE-2014-2538 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
How do I fix CVE-2014-2538? Upgrade rack-ssl to 1.4.0 or later.