CVE-2018-1000079

RubyGems Path Traversal vulnerability

RubyGems version Ruby 2.2 series: 2.2.9 and earlier, Ruby 2.3 series: 2.3.6 and earlier, Ruby 2.4 series: 2.4.3 and earlier, Ruby 2.5 series: 2.5.0 and earlier, prior to trunk revision 62422 contains a Directory Traversal vulnerability in gem installation that can result in the gem writing to arbitrary filesystem locations during installation. This attack appears to be exploitable via installation of a malicious gem. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.7.6.

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.

CVE-2018-1000079 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, no privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2.7.6, 9.1.16.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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1. What is CVE-2018-1000079? CVE-2018-1000079 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in rubygems-update (rubygems), affecting versions < 2.7.6. It is fixed in 2.7.6, 9.1.16.0. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
2. How severe is CVE-2018-1000079? CVE-2018-1000079 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which packages are affected by CVE-2018-1000079?
   • rubygems-update (rubygems) (versions < 2.7.6)
   • org.jruby:jruby-stdlib (maven) (versions < 9.1.16.0)
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2018-1000079? Yes. CVE-2018-1000079 is fixed in 2.7.6, 9.1.16.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2018-1000079 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2018-1000079 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2018-1000079 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2018-1000079?
   • Upgrade rubygems-update to 2.7.6 or later
   • Upgrade org.jruby:jruby-stdlib to 9.1.16.0 or later

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