How severe is CVE-2012-4481?

CVE-2012-4481 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.3, rated medium severity.

Is CVE-2012-4481 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (78th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2012-4481?

CVE-2012-4481 affects Ruby-lang Ruby. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2012-4481?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2012-4481 published?

CVE-2012-4481 was published on 2013-05-02 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2012-4481

CVE-2012-4481 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Ruby-lang Ruby with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.3. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-264.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 2.0 base score 4.3)
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (78th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-264
Affected product: Ruby-lang Ruby
Published: 2013-05-02
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

The safe-level feature in Ruby 1.8.7 allows context-dependent attackers to modify strings via the NameError#to_s method when operating on Ruby objects. NOTE: this issue is due to an incomplete fix for CVE-2011-1005.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2012-4481?: The safe-level feature in Ruby 1.8.7 allows context-dependent attackers to modify strings via the NameError#to_s method when operating on Ruby objects. NOTE: this issue is due to an incomplete fix for CVE-2011-1005.
How severe is CVE-2012-4481?: CVE-2012-4481 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.3, rated medium severity.
Is CVE-2012-4481 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (78th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2012-4481?: CVE-2012-4481 affects Ruby-lang Ruby. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2012-4481?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2012-4481 published?: CVE-2012-4481 was published on 2013-05-02 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Ruby-lang Ruby

CVE-2009-4124 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Heap-based buffer overflow in the rb_str_justify function in string.c in Ruby 1.9.1 before 1.9.1-p376 allows…
CVE-2008-2662 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Multiple integer overflows in the rb_str_buf_append function in Ruby 1.8.4 and earlier, 1.8.5 before 1.8.5-p231, 1.8.6…
CVE-2008-2663 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Multiple integer overflows in the rb_ary_store function in Ruby 1.8.4 and earlier, 1.8.5 before 1.8.5-p231, 1.8.6…
CVE-2016-2338 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An exploitable heap overflow vulnerability exists in the Psych::Emitter start_document function of Ruby. In…
CVE-2022-28738 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): A double free was found in the Regexp compiler in Ruby 3.x before 3.0.4 and 3.1.x before 3.1.2. If a victim attempts to…
CVE-2011-4121 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The OpenSSL extension of Ruby (Git trunk) versions after 2011-09-01 up to 2011-11-03 always generated an exponent value…

All CVEs affecting Ruby-lang Ruby →

Other CWE-264 (Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls) vulnerabilities

CVE-2016-8363 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): An issue was discovered in Moxa OnCell OnCellG3470A-LTE, AWK-1131A/3131A/4131A Series, AWK-3191 Series, AWK-5232/6232…
CVE-2016-7457 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): VMware vRealize Operations (aka vROps) 6.x before 6.4.0 allows remote authenticated users to gain privileges, or halt…
CVE-2015-7425 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The Data Protection component in the VMware vSphere GUI in IBM Tivoli Storage Manager for Virtual Environments: Data…
CVE-2015-8267 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The PasswordReset.Controllers.ResetController.ChangePasswordIndex method in PasswordReset.dll in Dovestones AD Self…
CVE-2015-7919 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): SearchBlox 8.3 before 8.3.1 allows remote attackers to write to the config file, and consequently cause a denial of…
CVE-2015-7071 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The File Bookmark component in Apple OS X before 10.11.2 allows attackers to bypass a sandbox protection mechanism for…

Browse all CWE-264 (Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls) vulnerabilities →