Summary
XML Injection in Xerces Java affects Nokogiri
Nokogiri v1.13.4 updates the vendored xerces:xercesImpl from 2.12.0 to 2.12.2, which addresses CVE-2022-23437. That CVE is scored as CVSS 6.5 "Medium" on the NVD record.
Please note that this advisory only applies to the JRuby implementation of Nokogiri < 1.13.4.
Mitigation
Upgrade to Nokogiri >= v1.13.4.
CVE-2022-23437 in xerces-J
- Severity: Medium
- Type: CWE-91 XML Injection (aka Blind XPath Injection)
- Description: There's a vulnerability within the Apache Xerces Java (XercesJ) XML parser when handling specially crafted XML document payloads. This causes, the XercesJ XML parser to wait in an infinite loop, which may sometimes consume system resources for prolonged duration. This vulnerability is present within XercesJ version 2.12.1 and the previous versions.
- See also: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-h65f-jvqw-m9fj
Impact
GHSA-XXX9-3XCR-GJJ3 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). 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 (1.13.4); 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 GHSA-XXX9-3XCR-GJJ3? GHSA-XXX9-3XCR-GJJ3 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in nokogiri (rubygems), affecting versions < 1.13.4. It is fixed in 1.13.4.
- How severe is GHSA-XXX9-3XCR-GJJ3? GHSA-XXX9-3XCR-GJJ3 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (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.
- Which versions of nokogiri are affected by GHSA-XXX9-3XCR-GJJ3? nokogiri (rubygems) versions < 1.13.4 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-XXX9-3XCR-GJJ3? Yes. GHSA-XXX9-3XCR-GJJ3 is fixed in 1.13.4. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-XXX9-3XCR-GJJ3 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-XXX9-3XCR-GJJ3 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 GHSA-XXX9-3XCR-GJJ3 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 GHSA-XXX9-3XCR-GJJ3? Upgrade
nokogirito 1.13.4 or later.