GHSA-g7xq-xv8c-h98c
HIGHCross-site Scripting (XSS) possible due to improper sanitisation of `href` attributes on `<a>` tags
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
phlex💎phlex💎phlex💎phlex💎phlex💎phlex💎phlexReal-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
Summary
There is a potential cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability that can be exploited via maliciously crafted user data.
Our filter to detect and prevent the use of the javascript: URL scheme in the href attribute of an <a> tag could be bypassed with tab \t or newline \n characters between the characters of the protocol, e.g. java\tscript:.
Impact
If you render an <a> tag with an href attribute set to a user-provided link, that link could potentially execute JavaScript when clicked by another user.
a(href: user_profile) { "Profile" }
Mitigation
The best way to mitigate this vulnerability is to update to one of the following versions:
Workarounds
Configuring a Content Security Policy that does not allow unsafe-inline would effectively prevent this vulnerability from being exploited.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 💎RubyGems | phlex | ≥ 1.10.0&&< 1.10.1 | 1.10.1 |
| 💎RubyGems | phlex | ≥ 1.9.0&&< 1.9.2 | 1.9.2 |
| 💎RubyGems | phlex | ≥ 1.8.0&&< 1.8.3 | 1.8.3 |
| 💎RubyGems | phlex | ≥ 1.7.0&&< 1.7.2 | 1.7.2 |
| 💎RubyGems | phlex | ≥ 1.6.0&&< 1.6.3 | 1.6.3 |
| 💎RubyGems | phlex | ≥ 1.5.0&&< 1.5.3 | 1.5.3 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for phlex. 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 phlex to 1.10.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-g7xq-xv8c-h98c 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-g7xq-xv8c-h98c 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-g7xq-xv8c-h98c. 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-g7xq-xv8c-h98c in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-g7xq-xv8c-h98c across RubyGems dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.