CVE-2024-32970

There is a potential cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability that can be exploited via maliciously crafted user data.

The reason these issues were not detected before is the escapes were working as designed. However, their design didn't take into account just how recklessly permissive browser are when it comes to executing unsafe JavaScript via HTML attributes.

Workarounds

Configuring a Content Security Policy that does not allow unsafe-inline would effectively prevent this vulnerability from being exploited.

References

In addition to upgrading to a patched version of Phlex, we strongly recommend configuring a Content Security Policy header that does not allow unsafe-inline. Here’s how you can configure a Content Security Policy header in Rails. https://guides.rubyonrails.org/security.html#content-security-policy-header

If you render an <a> tag with an href attribute set to a user-provided link, that link could potentially execute JavaScript when clicked by another user.

a(href: user_profile) { "Profile" }

If you splat user-provided attributes when rendering any HTML or SVG tag, malicious event attributes could be included in the output, executing JavaScript when the events are triggered by another user.

h1(**JSON.parse(user_attributes))

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.

CVE-2024-32970 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). The vector is network-reachable, 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 (1.9.3, 1.10.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Patches are available on RubyGems for all minor versions released in the last year.

• 1.10.2
• 1.9.3

If you are on main, it has been patched since da8f943

1. What is CVE-2024-32970? CVE-2024-32970 is a high-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in phlex (rubygems), affecting versions < 1.9.3. It is fixed in 1.9.3, 1.10.2. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.
2. How severe is CVE-2024-32970? CVE-2024-32970 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). 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 versions of phlex are affected by CVE-2024-32970? phlex (rubygems) versions < 1.9.3 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2024-32970? Yes. CVE-2024-32970 is fixed in 1.9.3, 1.10.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2024-32970 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-32970 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-2024-32970 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-2024-32970?
   • Upgrade phlex to 1.9.3 or later
   • Upgrade phlex to 1.10.2 or later

Other vulnerabilities in phlex