# CVE-2015-7551: Code injection in n/a

> Attackers can execute arbitrary code or crash applications via crafted strings due to improper taint handling in Ruby's Fiddle library.

- **Severity:** High 8.4 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 24 Mar 2016
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-m9xr-x5mq-4fp5, MGASA-2016-0007, UBUNTU-CVE-2015-7551

## What is CVE-2015-7551?

CVE-2015-7551 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Apple Mac Os X, published on 24 Mar 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Fiddle::Handle implementation in ext/fiddle/handle.c in Ruby before 2.0.0-p648, 2.1 before 2.1.8, and 2.2 before 2.2.4, as distributed in Apple OS X before 10.11.4 and other products, mishandles tainting, which allows context-dependent attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted string, related to the DL module and the libffi library.  NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of a CVE-2009-5147 regression.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2015-7551?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Apple Mac Os X, Ruby-Lang Ruby.

## How do I fix CVE-2015-7551?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2015-7551 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-7551 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apple Mac Os X

- [CVE-2014-7169](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-7169/): GNU Bourne-Again Shell (Bash) Arbitrary Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2014-6271](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-6271/): GNU Bourne-Again Shell (Bash) Arbitrary Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2012-1823](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-1823/): PHP-CGI Query String Parameter (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-30713](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-30713/): Apple macOS Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-8526](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-8526/): Apple macOS Use-After-Free (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2015-7551 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2015-7551 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Apple Mac Os X, published on 24 Mar 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-7551 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Apple Mac Os X. 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-2015-7551/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-7551/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-7551
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-7551
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2015-7551

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-7551/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.