GHSA-5cm2-9h8c-rvfx
HIGHTZInfo relative path traversal vulnerability allows loading of arbitrary files
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.
Blast Radius
tzinfo💎tzinfoReal-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
Impact
Affected versions
- 0.3.60 and earlier.
- 1.0.0 to 1.2.9 when used with the Ruby data source (tzinfo-data).
Vulnerability
With the Ruby data source (the tzinfo-data gem for tzinfo version 1.0.0 and later and built-in to earlier versions), time zones are defined in Ruby files. There is one file per time zone. Time zone files are loaded with require on demand. In the affected versions, TZInfo::Timezone.get fails to validate time zone identifiers correctly, allowing a new line character within the identifier. With Ruby version 1.9.3 and later, TZInfo::Timezone.get can be made to load unintended files with require, executing them within the Ruby process.
For example, with version 1.2.9, you can run the following to load a file with path /tmp/payload.rb:
TZInfo::Timezone.get("foo\n/../../../../../../../../../../../../../../../../tmp/payload")
The exact number of parent directory traversals needed will vary depending on the location of the tzinfo-data gem.
TZInfo versions 1.2.6 to 1.2.9 can be made to load files from outside of the Ruby load path. Versions up to and including 1.2.5 can only be made to load files from directories within the load path.
This could be exploited in, for example, a Ruby on Rails application using tzinfo version 1.2.9, that allows file uploads and has a time zone selector that accepts arbitrary time zone identifiers. The CVSS score and severity have been set on this basis.
Versions 2.0.0 and later are not vulnerable.
Patches
Versions 0.3.61 and 1.2.10 include fixes to correctly validate time zone identifiers (commit 9eddbb5c0e682736f61d0dd803b6031a5db9eadf for 0.3.x and commit 9905ca93abf7bf3e387bd592406e403cd18334c7 for 1.2.x).
Note that version 0.3.61 can still load arbitrary files from the Ruby load path if their name follows the rules for a valid time zone identifier and the file has a prefix of tzinfo/definition within a directory in the load path. For example if /tmp/upload was in the load path, then TZInfo::Timezone.get('foo') could load a file with path /tmp/upload/tzinfo/definition/foo.rb. Applications should ensure that untrusted files are not placed in a directory on the load path.
Workarounds
As a workaround, the time zone identifier can be validated before passing to TZInfo::Timezone.get by ensuring it matches the regular expression \A[A-Za-z0-9+\-_]+(?:\/[A-Za-z0-9+\-_]+)*\z.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in the tzinfo repository.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 💎RubyGems | tzinfo | all versions | 0.3.61 |
| 💎RubyGems | tzinfo | ≥ 1.0.0&&< 1.2.10 | 1.2.10 |
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 tzinfo. 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 tzinfo to 0.3.61 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-5cm2-9h8c-rvfx 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-5cm2-9h8c-rvfx 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-5cm2-9h8c-rvfx. 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-5cm2-9h8c-rvfx in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-5cm2-9h8c-rvfx across RubyGems dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.