CVE-2019-5418: Rails Ruby on Rails Path Traversal Vulnerability

79

Urgent

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

CISA KEV · Jul 7, 2025 Detection templates (Nuclei) · 1 Metasploit modules · 1 Exploit-DB · 1 Proofs of concept on GitHub · 12

How the score was calculated

Confirmed exploitation (CISA KEV)+35
Public exploit/PoC (nuclei, metasploit, exploitdb, github)+20
EPSS 98.5% (30-day exploitation probability)+15
Technical severity (high)+6
Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation

Confirmed

CISA KEV, listed Jul 7, 2025

EPSS FIRST

98.51%

ahead of 100% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026

Affects

Debian

Debian Linux and 7 more

CVSS base

7.5

High · 4 source(s)

CISA SSVC assessment CISA

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

Exploitation

Active

none · proof-of-concept · active

Automatable

Yes

can an attacker script the kill-chain steps

Technical impact

Partial

partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

Documented patch — www.openwall.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
Documented patch — weblog.rubyonrails.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
Documented patch — web.archive.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
Rubygems Actionview: fixed in version 5.1.6.2 — github.com (GitHub Security Advisories)
Rubygems Actionview: fixed in version 5.0.7.2 — github.com (GitHub Security Advisories)
Rubygems Actionview: fixed in version 5.2.2.1 — github.com (GitHub Security Advisories)
Rubygems Actionview: fixed in version 4.2.11.1 — github.com (GitHub Security Advisories)

CISA required action CISA

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

US federal deadline: Jul 28, 2025 — passed 445 day(s) ago

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Debian Debian Linux, Fedoraproject Fedora, Opensuse Leap…).
Treat as emergency remediation: the CVE is in CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
EPSS ahead of 100% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (file handling), errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status	Source
Debian	Debian Linux	version 8.0	Vulnerable	NIST National Vulnerability Database
Fedoraproject	Fedora	version 30	Vulnerable	NIST National Vulnerability Database
Opensuse	Leap	version 15.0	Vulnerable	NIST National Vulnerability Database
Rails	Https://github.com/rails/rails	version 4.2.11.1version 5.0.7.2version 5.1.6.2version 5.2.2.1	Vulnerable	CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Red Hat	Cloudforms	version 4.6version 4.7	Vulnerable	NIST National Vulnerability Database
Red Hat	Software Collections	version 1.0	Vulnerable	NIST National Vulnerability Database
Rubyonrails	Rails	≥ 5.2.0 and < 5.2.2.1≥ 5.1.0 and < 5.1.6.2≥ 5.0.0 and < 5.0.7.2≥ 3.0.0 and < 4.2.11.1	Vulnerable	NIST National Vulnerability Database
Rubygems	Actionview	≥ 5.1.0 and ≤ 5.1.6.1≥ 5.0.0 and ≤ 5.0.7.1≥ 5.2.0 and ≤ 5.2.2.0≥ 4.0.0 and ≤ 4.2.11.0	Vulnerable	GitHub Security Advisories

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector

Network

Attack complexity

Low

Privileges required

None

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

None

Availability

None

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Scored by
7.5	CVSS 3.1	High	3.9	3.6	nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database
7.5	CVSS 3.1	High	3.9	3.6	134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 via NIST National Vulnerability Database
7.5	CVSS 3.1	High	—	—	GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories
7.5	CVSS 3.1	High	—	—	CISA-ADP via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
5.0	CVSS 2.0	Medium	10.0	2.9	nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov)

Weakness MITRE

Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.

CWE-22 · Path Traversal

Other CVEs with this weakness →

CISA KEV details CISA

CISA lists a CVE once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.

Listed

Jul 7, 2025

Federal deadline

Jul 28, 2025

passed 445 day(s) ago

Ransomware use

Unknown

CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a reference date.

Public exploits, PoCs and detection templates

Public code that demonstrates or tests the flaw raises the odds of mass exploitation — and Nuclei templates help find vulnerable assets in your environment.

Detection templates (Nuclei)

Rails File Content Disclosure

Metasploit modules

Ruby On Rails File Content Disclosure ('doubletap') normal

Exploit-DB

Rails 5.2.1 - Arbitrary File Content Disclosure Mar 21, 2019

Proofs of concept on GitHub — 12 repositories; showing the 10 most starred

CVE-2019-5418 - File Content Disclosure on Ruby on Rails ★ 201 Mar 16, 2019
RCE on Rails 5.2.2 using a path traversal (CVE-2019-5418) and a deserialization of Ruby objects (CVE-2019-5420) ★ 132 Mar 23, 2019
A multi-threaded Golang scanner to identify Ruby endpoints vulnerable to CVE-2019-5418 ★ 36 Mar 19, 2019
File Content Disclosure on Rails Test Case - CVE-2019-5418 ★ 5 Mar 18, 2019
random-robbie/CVE-2019-5418 ★ 5 Nov 19, 2019
a demo for Ruby on Rails CVE-2019-5418 ★ 3 Apr 1, 2019
Ruby on Rails是一个 Web 应用程序框架,是一个相对较新的 Web 应用程序框架，构建在 Ruby 语言之上。这个漏洞主要是由于Ruby on Rails使用了指定参数的render file来渲染应用之外的视图，我们可以通过修改访问某控制器的请求包，通过“…/…/…/…/”来达到路径穿越的目的，然后再通过“{{”来进行模板查询路径的闭合，使得所要访问的文件被当做外部模板来解析。 ★ 2 Oct 17, 2022
Rails 3 PoC of CVE-2019-5418 ★ 0 Oct 4, 2019
melardev/CVE-2019-5418 ★ 0 Oct 24, 2019
WHS 3기 장대혁 취약한(CVE) Docker 환경 구성 과제입니다. ★ 0 Apr 7, 2025

Warning: public PoCs are sometimes disguised malware. Use them only for authorized testing in an isolated environment. This portal does not host exploit code — it only points to the sources.

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 12, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 98.51%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
Monitor file creation in web directories and paths with traversal sequences (../).
Hunt retroactively in logs from before Jul 7, 2025 (KEV listing): exploitation may have started earlier.

web/proxy/WAF logsnetwork IDS/IPSfile integrity (FIM)endpoint telemetry (EDR)

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

2026
Fix documented
Oct 13, 2026 · GitHub Security Advisories
Affected products added · rubygems/actionview
Oct 13, 2026 · GitHub Security Advisories
Affected products added · rails/https://github.com/rails/rails
Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
SSVC assessment updated
Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Record published
Oct 13, 2026
Fix documented
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Affected products added · rubyonrails/rails, debian/debian linux, redhat/cloudforms, opensuse/leap, fedoraproject/fedora, redhat/software collecti
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVSS changed · 7.5
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Source status changed · → Analyzed
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Added to CISA KEV (detected)
Oct 13, 2026 · CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
Record created in this database
Oct 13, 2026 · CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
2025
Added to CISA KEV catalog
Jul 6, 2025 · CISA
2019
CVE published
Mar 27, 2019 · hackerone

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

2× References added · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

23 on the record

web.archive.org/web/20190313201629/https://weblog.rubyonrails.org/2019/3/13/Rails-4-2
Patch, Vendor Advisory, NIST National Vulnerability Database
www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2019/03/22/1
Mailing List, Mitigation, Patch, Third Party Advisory, mailing-list, x_refsource_MLIST, NIST National Vulnerability Database
weblog.rubyonrails.org/2019/3/13/Rails-4-2-5-1-5-1-6-2-have-been-released/
Broken Link, Patch, Vendor Advisory, x_refsource_CONFIRM, NIST National Vulnerability Database
www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
US Government Resource, NIST National Vulnerability Database
access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:0796
Third Party Advisory, vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, NIST National Vulnerability Database
access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:1147
Third Party Advisory, vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, NIST National Vulnerability Database
groups.google.com/forum/
Permissions Required, x_refsource_CONFIRM, NIST National Vulnerability Database
groups.google.com/forum/
GitHub Security Advisories
packetstormsecurity.com/files/152178/Rails-5.2.1-Arbitrary-File-Content-Disclosure.html
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry, x_refsource_MISC, NIST National Vulnerability Database
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-5418
GitHub Security Advisories
access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:1149
Third Party Advisory, vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, NIST National Vulnerability Database
groups.google.com/forum/
GitHub Security Advisories
access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:1289
Third Party Advisory, vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, NIST National Vulnerability Database
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/Y436
Third Party Advisory, vendor-advisory, x_refsource_FEDORA, NIST National Vulnerability Database
lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-05/msg00011.html
Mailing List, Third Party Advisory, vendor-advisory, x_refsource_SUSE, NIST National Vulnerability Database
www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46585
GitHub Security Advisories
github.com/advisories/GHSA-86g5-2wh3-gc9j
GitHub Security Advisories
www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46585/
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry, exploit, x_refsource_EXPLOIT-DB, NIST National Vulnerability Database
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/Y436
GitHub Security Advisories
weblog.rubyonrails.org/2019/3/13/Rails-4-2-5-1-5-1-6-2-have-been-released
GitHub Security Advisories
web.archive.org/web/20190313201629/https://weblog.rubyonrails.org/2019/3/13/Rails-4-2
GitHub Security Advisories
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/03/msg00042.html
Mailing List, Third Party Advisory, mailing-list, x_refsource_MLIST, NIST National Vulnerability Database
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/Y43636
GitHub Security Advisories

Elsewhere on this site

Debian
every CVE for this vendor

2025-07
what else CISA listed that month

File handling
same class

CWE-22
other pages naming this weakness

Related CVEs (same products)

High CVE-2026-52903 YAML safe_load production fallback to unsafe_load enables RCE via deserialization 3d
High CVE-2026-12996 A use-after-free in OpenVPN 2.6.0 through 2.6.20 and 2.7_alpha1 through 2.7.4 allows remote... Jul 30, 2026
Medium CVE-2026-14355 ext/openssl: Memory corruption in openssl_encrypt with AES-WRAP-PAD Jul 3, 2026
Medium CVE-2026-56968 Use of Uninitialized Resource in Gnu Sasl Jun 23, 2026
Medium CVE-2026-54231 Abrt: unsanitized systemd journal content written to dump directory files enables content injection Jun 13, 2026
High CVE-2026-54230 Abrt: event handler scripts follow symlinks when writing output files, allowing arbitrary file overwrites Jun 13, 2026

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2019-5418 is "Rails Ruby on Rails Path Traversal Vulnerability", rated High. It affects Debian Linux (Debian); versions are in the scope table. It is in CISA KEV: there is evidence of real-world exploitation. CVSS 7.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 98.51% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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