What is CVE-2022-23520?A medium-severity flaw in Rails Html Sanitizers, explained.
CVE-2022-23520 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 6.1) in Rails Html Sanitizers from Rubyonrails, published on 14 December 2022. It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts its chance of use in the next 30 days at 1.2%. If you run an affected version, plan in the vendor’s fix.
Published 14 December 2022. Record last updated 3 November 2025. We keep this page's data up to date.
What is CVE-2022-23520? In plain terms.
It can be attacked from anywhere on the internet without logging in, but a person has to take an action first. If it works, the attacker can read some data and change some data.
rails-html-sanitizer is responsible for sanitizing HTML fragments in Rails applications. Prior to version 1.4.4, there is a possible XSS vulnerability with certain configurations of Rails::Html::Sanitizer due to an incomplete fix of CVE-2022-32209. Rails::Html::Sanitizer may allow an attacker to inject content if the application developer has overridden the sanitizer's allowed tags to allow both "select" and "style" elements. Code is only impacted if allowed tags are being overridden. This issue is patched in version 1.4.4. All users overriding the allowed tags to include both "select" and "style" should either upgrade or use this workaround: Remove either "select" or "style" from the overridden allowed tags. NOTE: Code is _not_ impacted if allowed tags are overridden using either the :tags option to the Action View helper method sanitize or the :tags option to the instance method SafeListSanitizer#sanitize.
What kind of flaw is it?
- CWE-79Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
How an attack on it works
Read straight from its severity rating, translated out of the shorthand.
- Where an attacker can beAnywhere on the internet
- How hard it is to pull offEasy: no special conditions
- Login needed firstNo login needed
- Does someone have to clickYes, a person has to take an action
- What an attacker getsCan read some data and change some data
Severity vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
Is CVE-2022-23520 being exploited? Not that we know of.
It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 1.2%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.
Timeline
- Published
- Record last updated
CVE-2022-23520 scores 44. Action: Plan remediation.
We keep the score of every published flaw up to date as the evidence changes. Four things go into the score, and evidence that criminals are actually using it counts most. In order:
- Evidence it is being exploitedBiggest factor
- How severe it isStrong factor
- How widely exposed it isSmaller factor
- Threat activity around itSmaller factor
85 and above is Critical. Anything confirmed as exploited is always marked for an emergency patch, whatever its score.
When CVE-2022-23520 matches software you track, it lands in your list with its score and the reasons behind it.
See your own ranked list →Who is affected by CVE-2022-23520? 2 products.
The published record lists 2 products from 2 vendors. Versions are shown as published: "before 1.4.4" means every version up to, but not including, 1.4.4. If you run one of these, check your version, then go to the fix below.
- Application
Rails Html Sanitizers
by Rubyonrails
Affected versionsbefore 1.4.4 - Operating system
Debian Linux
by Debian
Affected versions10.0
How do I fix CVE-2022-23520? Four steps.
- Check whether you run itCompare your versions with the affected products above. Not sure what you run? Precursor Intelligence can work it out from your public website, or you can pick it from a list.
- Apply the vendor’s fixInstall the latest update from the vendor. The references list where the vendor has published details.
- If you can’t patch todayFollow any mitigation the vendor publishes, and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet until the update is in.
- Keep an eye on itTrack the product and we tell you as soon as we spot this flaw on the list of exploited flaws, or a jump in its exploit likelihood.
Does CVE-2022-23520 affect you? We'll keep checking.
Looking flaws up one at a time doesn't scale. Tell us what you run once, and we tell you which flaws matter to you, in what order, and keep watching for new ones.
- Tell us what you runPick your software from a list, or let us work it out from your website.
- We match it to every flawOver 400,000 published flaws, checked against your list.
- Ranked by real-world riskA 0 to 100 score, led by evidence criminals are using it.
- Told as soon as we knowAn alert by email, in the app or by webhook to your own tools.
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1 new flaw affects software Acme tracks
rails-html-sanitizer is responsible for sanitizing HTML fragments in Rails applications. Prior to version 1.4.4, there is a possible XSS vulnerability with c...
- Matched to
- Rails Html Sanitizers on Acme's software list
- What to do
- Plan in the vendor’s update
Sent to the alert recipients Acme chose. Also in the app and to Acme's webhook.
CVE-2022-23520 is a medium-severity flaw in Rails Html Sanitizers from Rubyonrails, published on 14 December 2022. It can be attacked from anywhere on the internet without logging in, but a person has to take an action first. If it works, the attacker can read some data and change some data.
It scores 6.1 out of 10 on the CVSS severity scale, which is medium. Our risk score for CVE-2022-23520 is 44 out of 100, which is Medium. Its action is "Plan remediation". No sign of exploitation and a low forecast. Patch it in your normal update cycle.
It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 1.2%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.
For Rails Html Sanitizers from Rubyonrails: before 1.4.4. The record lists 2 products in all, each with its versions, under "Who is affected" on this page.
Install the update the vendor names in its advisory. If you can't patch today, follow the vendor's mitigation and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet.