# CVE-2013-4164: Memory corruption in n/a > Heap-based buffer overflow in Ruby allows attackers to cause denial of service or execute arbitrary code via crafted floating-point strings. - **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 Nov 2013 - **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024 - **Also known as:** DSA-2810-1, GHSA-j98q-m2w8-57rc, MGASA-2014-0003, RHSA-2013:1763, RHSA-2013:1764, RHSA-2013:1767, RHSA-2014:0011, UBUNTU-CVE-2013-4164 ## What is CVE-2013-4164? CVE-2013-4164 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Ruby-Lang Ruby, published on 23 Nov 2013. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim. ### Official description Heap-based buffer overflow in Ruby 1.8, 1.9 before 1.9.3-p484, 2.0 before 2.0.0-p353, 2.1 before 2.1.0 preview2, and trunk before revision 43780 allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (segmentation fault) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a string that is converted to a floating point value, as demonstrated using (1) the to_f method or (2) JSON.parse. Weakness: CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2013-4164? It affects 1 product. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `ruby` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-docs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-irb` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-rdoc` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-ri` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-static` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-tcltk` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-docs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-irb` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-rdoc` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-ri` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-static` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-tcltk` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-docs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-irb` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-rdoc` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-ri` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-static` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-tcltk` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-docs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-irb` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-rdoc` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-ri` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-static` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | | `ruby-tcltk` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:1.8.7.352-13.el6 | Products: Ruby-Lang Ruby. ## How do I fix CVE-2013-4164? Upgrade to a fixed version. ## Is CVE-2013-4164 being exploited? It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2013-4164 exists. Public exploit code: - Ruby on Rails JSON Processor Floating Point Heap Overflow DoS (metasploit) ## 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-2013-4164 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2013-4164 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Ruby-Lang Ruby, published on 23 Nov 2013. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim. Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2013-4164 exists. 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-2013-4164/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4164/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2013-4164 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-4164 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2013-4164 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4164/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.