REXML DoS vulnerability

HIGH 7.5CVE-2024-41946 · GHSA-5866-49gr-22v4 · Published 01/08/2024 · updated 17/06/2026

Package	Affected versions	Patched versions
rexml RubyGems	`< 3.3.3`	`3.3.3`
rexml ruby-lang	`< 3.3.3`	`3.3.3`

Description

Impact

The REXML gem before 3.3.2 has a DoS vulnerability when it parses an XML that has many entity expansions with SAX2 or pull parser API.

If you need to parse untrusted XMLs with SAX2 or pull parser API, you may be impacted to this vulnerability.

Patches

The REXML gem 3.3.3 or later include the patch to fix the vulnerability.

Workarounds

Don't parse untrusted XMLs with SAX2 or pull parser API.

References

https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/news/2008/08/23/dos-vulnerability-in-rexml/ : This is a similar vulnerability
https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/news/2024/08/01/dos-rexml-cve-2024-41946/: An announce on www.ruby-lang.org

NVD description

REXML is an XML toolkit for Ruby. The REXML gem 3.3.2 has a DoS vulnerability when it parses an XML that has many entity expansions with SAX2 or pull parser API. The REXML gem 3.3.3 or later include the patch to fix the vulnerability.

References

ruby/rexml security advisory · WEB
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-41946 · ADVISORY
ruby/rexml commit 033d190 · WEB
ruby/rexml · PACKAGE
rubysec/ruby-advisory-db · WEB
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00011.html · WEB
security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20250117-0007 · WEB
ruby-lang.org/en/news/2008/08/23/dos-vulnerability-in-rexml · WEB
ruby-lang.org/en/news/2024/08/01/dos-rexml-cve-2024-41946 · WEB
security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20250117-0007

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