CVE-2014-0130: Ruby on Rails implicit-render directory traversal allows arbitrary file read

Automated analysis

Generated by VULONE's analysis model from the NVD record, CISA KEV and EPSS data on 17 September 2026. Confidence: high.

high priorityThe flaw is remotely exploitable without authentication, has a CVSS base score of 7.5, and is listed in CISA KEV with a high EPSS score, indicating real-world exploitation risk.

What it is

Ruby on Rails versions before 3.2.18, 4.0.x before 4.0.5, and 4.1.x before 4.1.1 contain a directory traversal flaw in the implicit-render implementation in actionpack/lib/abstract_controller/base.rb. When certain route globbing configurations are enabled, a crafted request can cause the application to render files outside the intended view path. This exposes arbitrary files readable by the Rails process to unauthenticated remote attackers.

Impact

An attacker can read arbitrary files accessible to the Rails application process, potentially exposing configuration files, credentials, source code, or other sensitive data. There is no integrity or availability impact per the CVSS vector; the gain is information disclosure.

Attack surface

Reachable over the network via HTTP requests to a Rails application that uses the affected implicit-render behavior with certain route globbing configurations enabled. The CVSS vector indicates no authentication and no user interaction are required.

Exploitation

CVE-2014-0130 is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2022-03-25), and EPSS reports a 30-day exploitation probability of 0.53703 (98.94th percentile), indicating observed exploitation activity and elevated likelihood.

What to do

• Upgrade Ruby on Rails to 3.2.18, 4.0.5, 4.1.1 or later as applicable; apply the vendor patch first.
• For Red Hat deployments, apply the fixes referenced in RHSA-2014-1863.
• Review and restrict route globbing configurations that enable the vulnerable implicit-render path.
• Run the Rails application with least privilege so arbitrary file reads expose minimal sensitive data.
• If immediate upgrade is not possible, apply compensating controls such as WAF rules blocking traversal sequences in request paths.

Detection

• Inspect web and application logs for requests containing path traversal sequences (for example ../ or encoded variants) targeting Rails routes.
• Monitor for anomalous responses returning file contents outside expected view or static asset paths.
• Alert on access to sensitive files such as configuration, credential, or environment files through the web tier.
• Correlate outbound or internal file access patterns from the Rails process with unusual request sources.

This assessment is produced automatically and is not human-reviewed. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting on it.