How severe is CVE-2014-6438?

CVE-2014-6438 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2014-6438 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2014-6438?

CVE-2014-6438 affects Ruby-lang Ruby. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2014-6438?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2014-6438 published?

CVE-2014-6438 was published on 2017-09-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2014-6438

CVE-2014-6438 is a high-severity vulnerability in Ruby-lang Ruby with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. 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-399.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (90th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-399
Affected product: Ruby-lang Ruby
Published: 2017-09-06
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The URI.decode_www_form_component method in Ruby before 1.9.2-p330 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (catastrophic regular expression backtracking, resource consumption, or application crash) via a crafted string.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2014-6438?: The URI.decode_www_form_component method in Ruby before 1.9.2-p330 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (catastrophic regular expression backtracking, resource consumption, or application crash) via a crafted string.
How severe is CVE-2014-6438?: CVE-2014-6438 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2014-6438 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2014-6438?: CVE-2014-6438 affects Ruby-lang Ruby. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2014-6438?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2014-6438 published?: CVE-2014-6438 was published on 2017-09-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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

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Other CWE-399 (Resource Management Errors) vulnerabilities

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CVE-2015-0339 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2015-0335 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2015-0333 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2014-4121 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 SP2, 3.5, 3.5.1, 4, 4.5, 4.5.1, and 4.5.2 does not properly parse internationalized…
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