# CVE-2011-0188: Integer overflow in n/a

> Integer truncation in Ruby's BigDecimal allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or crash the application via large values.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.8 (`AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 23 Mar 2011
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6vch-6cgr-x9c3

## What is CVE-2011-0188?

CVE-2011-0188 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Ruby-Lang Ruby, published on 23 Mar 2011. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The VpMemAlloc function in bigdecimal.c in the BigDecimal class in Ruby 1.9.2-p136 and earlier, as used on Apple Mac OS X before 10.6.7 and other platforms, does not properly allocate memory, which allows context-dependent attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (application crash) via vectors involving creation of a large BigDecimal value within a 64-bit process, related to an "integer truncation issue."

Weakness: CWE-189

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2011-0188?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ruby-Lang Ruby.

## How do I fix CVE-2011-0188?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2011-0188 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2011-0188 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Ruby-Lang Ruby

- [CVE-2009-4124](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-4124/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2022-28738](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-28738/): Use after free in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2011-4121](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-4121/): Weak cryptography in OpenSSL extension of Ruby (Git trunk) (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-17790](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-17790/): Command injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-11465](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-11465/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2011-0188 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2011-0188 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Ruby-Lang Ruby, published on 23 Mar 2011. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2011-0188 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Ruby-Lang Ruby. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-0188/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-0188/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2011-0188
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-0188
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2011-0188

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-0188/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.