Vulnerability Monitor

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CVE-2009-4124

Heap-based buffer overflow in the rb_str_justify function in string.c in Ruby 1.9.1 before 1.9.1-p376 allows context-dependent attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors involving (1) String#ljust, (2) String#center, or (3) String#rjust. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.

Security Impact Summary

CVE-2009-4124 is a security vulnerability that . Impacting 1 product from ruby-lang organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.

Historical Context

Originally identified in 2009, this vulnerability predates many modern security frameworks and practices. The vulnerability landscape of that era was characterized by different threat models and less mature defense mechanisms compared to contemporary standards.

Published

2009-12-11T16:30:00.267

Last Modified

2025-04-09T00:30:58.490

Status

Deferred

Source

[email protected]

Severity

CVSSv2: 10.0 (HIGH)

CVSSv2 Vector

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Access Vector: NETWORK
Access Complexity: LOW
Authentication: NONE
Confidentiality Impact: COMPLETE
Integrity Impact: COMPLETE
Availability Impact: COMPLETE

Exploitability Score

10.0

Impact Score

10.0

Weaknesses

Type: Primary
CWE-119

Affected Vendors & Products

Type	Vendor	Product	Version/Range	Vulnerable?
Application	ruby-lang	ruby	1.9.1	Yes
Application	ruby-lang	ruby	1.9.1	Yes
Application	ruby-lang	ruby	1.9.1	Yes
Application	ruby-lang	ruby	1.9.1	Yes
Application	ruby-lang	ruby	1.9.1	Yes
Application	ruby-lang	ruby	1.9.1	Yes
Application	ruby-lang	ruby	1.9.1	Yes

References

http://secunia.com/advisories/37660 Vendor Advisory ([email protected])
http://www.osvdb.org/60880 ([email protected])
http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/news/2009/12/07/heap-overflow-in-string/ Patch, Vendor Advisory ([email protected])
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/37278 ([email protected])
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/3471 Vendor Advisory ([email protected])
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/54674 ([email protected])
http://secunia.com/advisories/37660 Vendor Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.osvdb.org/60880 (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/news/2009/12/07/heap-overflow-in-string/ Patch, Vendor Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/37278 (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/3471 Vendor Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/54674 (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)

How SecUtils Interprets This CVE

SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For ruby-lang's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.