CVE-2013-4389 — actionmailer
CVE-2013-4389 is a CWE-134 vulnerability in actionmailer. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for actionmailer — see the affected versions and patch details below.
actionmailer email address processing causes Denial of service
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Real-World Exposure
actionmailerReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects RubyGems packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Multiple format string vulnerabilities in log_subscriber.rb files in the log subscriber component in Action Mailer in Ruby on Rails 3.x before 3.2.15 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a crafted e-mail address that is improperly handled during construction of a log message.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 💎RubyGems | actionmailer | ≥ 3.0.0&&< 3.2.15 | 3.2.15bundle update actionmailer --conservative |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for actionmailer, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update actionmailer to 3.2.15 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2013-4389 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2013-4389 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2013-4389. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
Red Hat Product Security has rated this issue as having Low security impact. This issue is not currently planned to be addressed in future updates. For additional information, refer to the Issue Severity Classification: https://access.redhat.com/security/updates/classification/. This issue did not affect the versions…
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| CloudForms Management Engine 5.4 | cfme-0:5.4.0.5-1.el6cf | RHBA-2015:1100 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2013-4389 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2013-4389 across RubyGems dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.