GHSA-5v8h-3h3q-446p
Nokogiri: Possible Use-After-Free when `Nokogiri::XML::Document#encoding=` raises an exception
Blast Radius
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Description
Summary
Calling Document#encoding= with an invalid encoding (e.g., a non-string, or a string containing a null byte) raises an exception, but only after freeing the document's current encoding string without replacing it. The document is left referencing freed memory, so the next call to Document#encoding reads invalid memory, which can cause a segfault or leak freed bytes into a Ruby String.
Affects the CRuby (libxml2) implementation only; JRuby is not affected.
Severity
The Nokogiri maintainers have evaluated this as low severity. Reaching it requires an unusual API-usage pattern that does not arise during normal use. The application must pass an invalid encoding to Document#encoding=, rescue the resulting exception, and then continue using the same document. Nokogiri 1.19.4 makes this pattern safe with no change to the public API. The document no longer references freed memory after the exception is raised.
Mitigation
Upgrade to Nokogiri 1.19.4 or later.
If users are unable to upgrade, avoid passing attacker-controlled values to Document#encoding=. Applications that only assign developer-authored encodings are not directly exposed.
Credit
This issue was responsibly reported by Zheng Yu from depthfirst.com.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 💎RubyGems | nokogiri | all versions | 1.19.4 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for nokogiri. 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 nokogiri to 1.19.4 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-5v8h-3h3q-446p 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-5v8h-3h3q-446p 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-5v8h-3h3q-446p. 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-5v8h-3h3q-446p in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-5v8h-3h3q-446p across RubyGems dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.