Nokogiri updates packaged libxml2 to v2.10.4 to resolve multiple CVEsGHSA-pxvg-2qj5-37jq
GHSA-pxvg-2qj5-37jq is a security vulnerability in nokogiri. A fix is available for nokogiri — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Real-World Exposure
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Description
Summary
Nokogiri v1.14.3 upgrades the packaged version of its dependency libxml2 to v2.10.4 from v2.10.3.
libxml2 v2.10.4 addresses the following known vulnerabilities:
- CVE-2023-29469: Hashing of empty dict strings isn't deterministic
- CVE-2023-28484: Fix null deref in xmlSchemaFixupComplexType
- Schemas: Fix null-pointer-deref in xmlSchemaCheckCOSSTDerivedOK
Please note that this advisory only applies to the CRuby implementation of Nokogiri < 1.14.3, and only if the packaged libraries are being used. If you've overridden defaults at installation time to use system libraries instead of packaged libraries, you should instead pay attention to your distro's libxml2 release announcements.
Mitigation
Upgrade to Nokogiri >= 1.14.3.
Users who are unable to upgrade Nokogiri may also choose a more complicated mitigation: compile and link Nokogiri against external libraries libxml2 >= 2.10.4 which will also address these same issues.
Impact
No public information has yet been published about the security-related issues other than the upstream commits. Examination of those changesets indicate that the more serious issues relate to libxml2 dereferencing NULL pointers and potentially segfaulting while parsing untrusted inputs.
The commits can be examined at:
- [CVE-2023-29469] Hashing of empty dict strings isn't deterministic (09a2dd45) · Commits · GNOME / libxml2 · GitLab
- [CVE-2023-28484] Fix null deref in xmlSchemaFixupComplexType (647e072e) · Commits · GNOME / libxml2 · GitLab
- schemas: Fix null-pointer-deref in xmlSchemaCheckCOSSTDerivedOK (4c6922f7) · Commits · GNOME / libxml2 · GitLab
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 💎RubyGems | nokogiri | all versions | 1.14.3bundle update nokogiri --conservative |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for nokogiri, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update nokogiri to 1.14.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-pxvg-2qj5-37jq 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.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
This is a Moderate denial of service flaw in Nokogiri's bundled libxml2, affecting CRuby implementations that process XML schemas using packaged libraries. A remote attacker could provide a specially crafted XML schema, leading to a NULL pointer dereference and causing the application to crash, thereby impacting…
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base, or stability.Source: Red Hat security advisory for GHSA-pxvg-2qj5-37jq (CC BY 4.0)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-pxvg-2qj5-37jq in your dependencies?
Find it across RubyGems, including transitive dependencies.