Summary
Dragonfly contains remote code execution vulnerability
An argument injection vulnerability in the Dragonfly gem before 1.4.0 for Ruby allows remote attackers to read and write to arbitrary files via a crafted URL when the verify_url option is disabled. This may lead to code execution. The problem occurs because the generate and process features mishandle use of the ImageMagick convert utility.
Impact
Untrusted input is evaluated as executable code within the application's runtime environment. Typical impact: arbitrary code execution within the application's privilege context.
CVE-2021-33564 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. 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 (1.4.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
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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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2021-33564? CVE-2021-33564 is a critical-severity code injection vulnerability in dragonfly (rubygems), affecting versions < 1.4.0. It is fixed in 1.4.0. Untrusted input is evaluated as executable code within the application's runtime environment.
- How severe is CVE-2021-33564? CVE-2021-33564 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). 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.
- Which versions of dragonfly are affected by CVE-2021-33564? dragonfly (rubygems) versions < 1.4.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2021-33564? Yes. CVE-2021-33564 is fixed in 1.4.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2021-33564 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2021-33564 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-2021-33564 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-2021-33564? Upgrade
dragonflyto 1.4.0 or later.