Summary
actionpack vulnerable to Path Traversal
Directory traversal vulnerability in actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/middleware/static.rb in Action Pack in Ruby on Rails 3.x before 3.2.20, 4.0.x before 4.0.11, 4.1.x before 4.1.7, and 4.2.x before 4.2.0.beta3, when serve_static_assets is enabled, allows remote attackers to determine the existence of files outside the application root via a /..%2F sequence.
Impact
Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files. Typical impact: unauthorized file read or write outside the intended directory.
Affected versions
Security releases
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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actionpack to 3.2.20 or later; actionpack to 4.0.11 or later; actionpack to 4.1.7 or later; actionpack to 4.2.0.beta3 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2014-7818? CVE-2014-7818 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in actionpack (rubygems), affecting versions >= 3.0.0, < 3.2.20. It is fixed in 3.2.20, 4.0.11, 4.1.7, 4.2.0.beta3. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
- Which versions of actionpack are affected by CVE-2014-7818? actionpack (rubygems) versions >= 3.0.0, < 3.2.20 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2014-7818? Yes. CVE-2014-7818 is fixed in 3.2.20, 4.0.11, 4.1.7, 4.2.0.beta3. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2014-7818 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2014-7818 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-2014-7818 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-2014-7818?
- Upgrade
actionpackto 3.2.20 or later - Upgrade
actionpackto 4.0.11 or later - Upgrade
actionpackto 4.1.7 or later - Upgrade
actionpackto 4.2.0.beta3 or later
- Upgrade