CVE-2018-8778
ruby: Buffer under-read in String#unpack
Severity
ModerateRed Hat Product Security
CVSS 3.0
Review impact separately from score.
Published · March 28, 2018
Updated · November 2, 2026
Description
A integer underflow was found in the way String#unpack decodes the unpacking format. An attacker, able to control the unpack format, could use this flaw to disclose arbitrary parts of the application's memory.
Statement
This issue affects the versions of ruby as shipped with Red Hat CloudForms 4. Red Hat Product Security has rated this issue as having security impact of Moderate. A future update may address this issue. For additional information, refer to the Issue Severity Classification: https://access.redhat.com/security/updates/classification/.
This issue affects the versions of ruby as shipped with Red Hat Subscription Asset Manager 1. Red Hat Product Security has rated this issue as having security impact of Moderate. A future update may address this issue. For additional information, refer to the Issue Severity Classification: https://access.redhat.com/security/updates/classification/.
CVSS score applicability
The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.
Mitigation
Vulnerable code when String#unpack's argument is attacker controlled. In the unpack format string argemument, manual sanitization can be done by preventing the number following '@' to overflow to a negative number. See https://dev.to/sqreenio/an-in-depth-look-at-cve-2018-8878-or-why-integer-overflows-are-still-a-thing-1n01 for mitigation details.
CVSS / CWE
CVSS 3.0 · 4.8CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L
CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory