CVE-2026-26961

Rack::Multipart::Parser extracts the boundary parameter from multipart/form-data using a greedy regular expression. When a Content-Type header contains multiple boundary parameters, Rack selects the last one rather than the first.

In deployments where an upstream proxy, WAF, or intermediary interprets the first boundary parameter, this mismatch can allow an attacker to smuggle multipart content past upstream inspection and have Rack parse a different body structure than the intermediary validated.

Details

Rack identifies the multipart boundary using logic equivalent to:

MULTIPART = %r|\Amultipart/.*boundary=\"?([^\";,]+)\"?|ni

Because the expression is greedy, it matches the last boundary= parameter in a header such as:

Content-Type: multipart/form-data; boundary=safe; boundary=malicious

As a result, Rack parses the request body using malicious, while another component may interpret the same header using safe.

This creates an interpretation conflict. If an upstream WAF or proxy inspects multipart parts using the first boundary and Rack later parses the body using the last boundary, a client may be able to place malicious form fields or uploaded content in parts that Rack accepts but the upstream component did not inspect as intended.

This issue is most relevant in layered deployments where security decisions are made before the request reaches Rack.

Mitigation

• Update to a patched version of Rack that rejects ambiguous multipart Content-Type headers or parses duplicate boundary parameters consistently.
• Reject requests containing multiple boundary parameters.
• Normalize or regenerate multipart metadata at the trusted edge before forwarding requests to Rack.
• Avoid relying on upstream inspection of malformed multipart requests unless duplicate parameter handling is explicitly consistent across components.

Applications that accept multipart/form-data uploads behind an inspecting proxy or WAF may be affected.

In such deployments, an attacker may be able to bypass upstream filtering of uploaded files or form fields by sending a request with multiple boundary parameters and relying on the intermediary and Rack to parse the request differently.

The practical impact depends on deployment architecture. If no upstream component relies on a different multipart interpretation, this behavior may not provide meaningful additional attacker capability.

CVE-2026-26961 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium). 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 (2.2.23, 3.1.21, 3.2.6); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2026-26961? CVE-2026-26961 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in rack (rubygems), affecting versions < 2.2.23. It is fixed in 2.2.23, 3.1.21, 3.2.6.
2. How severe is CVE-2026-26961? CVE-2026-26961 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (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 versions of rack are affected by CVE-2026-26961? rack (rubygems) versions < 2.2.23 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-26961? Yes. CVE-2026-26961 is fixed in 2.2.23, 3.1.21, 3.2.6. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2026-26961 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-26961 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-2026-26961 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-2026-26961?
   • Upgrade rack to 2.2.23 or later
   • Upgrade rack to 3.1.21 or later
   • Upgrade rack to 3.2.6 or later