GHSA-3hhc-qp5v-9p2j is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in activerecord. 2 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-3hhc-qp5v-9p2j is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Active Record RCE bug with Serialized Columns
Real-World Exposure
activerecord💎activerecord💎activerecord💎activerecordReal-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
When serialized columns that use YAML (the default) are deserialized, Rails uses YAML.unsafe_load to convert the YAML data in to Ruby objects. If an attacker can manipulate data in the database (via means like SQL injection), then it may be possible for the attacker to escalate to an RCE.
There are no feasible workarounds for this issue, but other coders (such as JSON) are not impacted.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 💎RubyGems | activerecord | ≥ 7.0.0&&< 7.0.3.1 | 7.0.3.1 |
| 💎RubyGems | activerecord | ≥ 6.1.0&&< 6.1.6.1 | 6.1.6.1 |
| 💎RubyGems | activerecord | ≥ 6.0.0&&< 6.0.5.1 | 6.0.5.1 |
| 💎RubyGems | activerecord | all versions | 5.2.8.1 |
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 activerecord. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update activerecord to 7.0.3.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-3hhc-qp5v-9p2j 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 pinpoints whether GHSA-3hhc-qp5v-9p2j is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-3hhc-qp5v-9p2j. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-3hhc-qp5v-9p2j in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-3hhc-qp5v-9p2j across RubyGems dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.