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🛡️ CVE-2024-43398 — bootstrap-os

🟠 CVSS 8.0 — High ✅ No Known Exploit CWE-776 NVD
8.0
CVSS Score
0 Low4 Medium7 High9 Critical10

Description

REXML denial of service vulnerability

Impact

The REXML gem before 3.3.6 has a DoS vulnerability when it parses an XML that has many deep elements that have same local name attributes.

If you need to parse untrusted XMLs with tree parser API like REXML::Document.new, you may be impacted to this vulnerability. If you use other parser APIs such as stream parser API and SAX2 parser API, this vulnerability is not affected.

Patches

The REXML gem 3.3.6 or later include the patch to fix the vulnerability.

Workarounds

Don't parse untrusted XMLs with tree parser API.

References

  • https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/news/2024/08/22/dos-rexml-cve-2024-43398/ : An announce on www.ruby-lang.org

How this vulnerability can be exploited

This issue can be reached over the network, attack complexity is high, an attacker needs no privileges on the target. No user interaction is required. The scope is unchanged, so the impact stays within the vulnerable component. Rated impact: confidentiality none, integrity none, availability high.

CVSS metrics in full

The score comes from this vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

  • Attack vector: Network — reachable from anywhere that can route to the service.
  • Attack complexity: High — the attacker first has to win a race, learn a secret or otherwise prepare the target.
  • Privileges required: None — an unauthenticated stranger can try it.
  • User interaction: None — nobody has to be tricked into anything.
  • Scope: Unchanged — the damage stays inside the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: None.
  • Integrity impact: None.
  • Availability impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.

Weakness class

CVE-2024-43398 is classified as CWE-776: XML Entity Expansion. Nested entity definitions expand enormously when parsed, consuming memory and CPU.

Affected software

CVE-2024-43398 is recorded against 2 packages.

  • bootstrap-os
  • rexml (fixed in 3.3.6)

Timeline and source

Published on 22 August 2024 and last revised on 17 June 2026. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. Record sourced from NVD.

References

github.com
github.com
lists.debian.org
security.netapp.com

Other advisories for this package

bootstrap-os has other advisories on record. If you are patching this one, these are worth checking on the same host:

Same weakness in other software

These advisories are the same class of weakness (CWE-776: XML Entity Expansion) in other software:

CVE-2024-43398 on other distributions

Each distribution ships its own build and its own fixed version. Pick the one you run:

Details

Severity MEDIUM
CVSS Score 8.0
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CWE CWE-776
Public Exploit ✅ No
Source NVD
Published 2024-08-22
Updated 2026-08-20
Modified 2026-06-17
Fix URL N/A

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
bootstrap-os — —
rexml — 3.3.6

Similar Threats

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ⓘ Data Notice: The information presented above has been compiled from publicly available internet sources. Boteraser aggregates this data solely for informational purposes and does not independently classify, evaluate, or endorse any findings about the vulnerabilities listed. The accuracy and completeness of this information is the sole responsibility of the original publishers. Boteraser and its operators accept no liability for any decisions made based on this data.

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