GHSA-gxhx-g4fq-49hj
MEDIUMCarrierWave Content-Type allowlist bypass vulnerability, possibly leading to XSS
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
carrierwave💎carrierwaveReal-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
CarrierWave::Uploader::ContentTypeAllowlist has a Content-Type allowlist bypass vulnerability, possibly leading to XSS.
The validation in allowlisted_content_type? determines Content-Type permissions by performing a partial match.
If the content_type argument of allowlisted_content_type? is passed a value crafted by the attacker, Content-Types not included in the content_type_allowlist will be allowed.
In addition, by setting the Content-Type configured by the attacker at the time of file delivery, it is possible to cause XSS on the user's browser when the uploaded file is opened.
Patches
Workarounds
When validating with allowlisted_content_type? in CarrierWave::Uploader::ContentTypeAllowlist , forward match(\A) the Content-Type set in content_type_allowlist, preventing unintentional permission of text/html;image/png when you want to allow only image/png in content_type_allowlist.
References
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 💎RubyGems | carrierwave | ≥ 3.0.0&&< 3.0.5 | 3.0.5 |
| 💎RubyGems | carrierwave | all versions | 2.2.5 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for carrierwave. 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 carrierwave to 3.0.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-gxhx-g4fq-49hj 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-gxhx-g4fq-49hj 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-gxhx-g4fq-49hj. 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-gxhx-g4fq-49hj in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-gxhx-g4fq-49hj across RubyGems dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.