# CVE-2026-33168: Rails has a possible XSS vulnerability in its Action View tag helpers

> Attackers can execute arbitrary scripts via XSS in Rails Action View tag helpers when users control HTML attribute names.

- **Severity:** Low 2.3 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:P/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 23 Mar 2026
- **Updated:** 24 Mar 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-33168, GHSA-v55j-83pf-r9cq, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-33168

## What is CVE-2026-33168?

CVE-2026-33168 is a low-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in rails actionview, published on 23 Mar 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Action View provides conventions and helpers for building web pages with the Rails framework. Prior to versions 8.1.2.1, 8.0.4.1, and 7.2.3.1, when a blank string is used as an HTML attribute name in Action View tag helpers, the attribute escaping is bypassed, producing malformed HTML. A carefully crafted attribute value could then be misinterpreted by the browser as a separate attribute name, possibly leading to XSS. Applications that allow users to specify custom HTML attributes are affected. Versions 8.1.2.1, 8.0.4.1, and 7.2.3.1 contain a patch.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-33168?

6 open source packages ship an affected version, including actionview.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `actionview` | RubyGems | All versions | 7.2.3.1 |
| `actionview` | RubyGems | All versions | 7.2.3.1 |
| `actionview` | RubyGems | From 8.0.0.beta1 | 8.0.4.1 |
| `actionview` | RubyGems | From 8.0.0.beta1 | 8.0.4.1 |
| `actionview` | RubyGems | From 8.1.0.beta1 | 8.1.2.1 |
| `actionview` | RubyGems | From 8.1.0.beta1 | 8.1.2.1 |

## How do I fix CVE-2026-33168?

Upgrade actionview to a fixed version for your release line: 7.2.3.1, 8.0.4.1 or 8.1.2.1.

## Is CVE-2026-33168 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-33168 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-33168 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-33168 is a low-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in rails actionview, published on 23 Mar 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-33168 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- actionview (RubyGems): affected all versions; fixed in 7.2.3.1
- actionview (RubyGems): affected all versions; fixed in 7.2.3.1
- actionview (RubyGems): affected from 8.0.0.beta1; fixed in 8.0.4.1
- actionview (RubyGems): affected from 8.0.0.beta1; fixed in 8.0.4.1
- actionview (RubyGems): affected from 8.1.0.beta1; fixed in 8.1.2.1
- actionview (RubyGems): affected from 8.1.0.beta1; fixed in 8.1.2.1

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-2026-33168/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33168/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-33168
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-33168
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-33168

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33168/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.