Answer in brief
CVE-2026-25500 records a Medium severity (CVSS 5.4) vulnerability in Stored XSS in Rack::Directory via javascript: filenames rendered into anchor href. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. The current feed maps rack (rubygems), rack (rubygems), rack (rubygems). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.
Analysis pending evidence review
HOL Guard separates source facts from reviewed analysis. See the methodology.
CVSS is 5.4. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. Treat this as a source-backed prioritization signal, not a statement about your environment.
Analysis status
Analysis pending evidence review
Factual feed record only; HOL analysis is not approved for indexing. Read the methodology.
The current feed maps rack (rubygems), rack (rubygems), rack (rubygems). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.
| Package | Affected range | Fixed version |
|---|---|---|
| rackrubygems | >=0 <2.2.22 | 2.2.22 |
| rackrubygems | >=3.0.0.beta1 <3.1.20 | 3.1.20 |
| rackrubygems | >=3.2.0 <3.2.5 | 3.2.5 |
Published upstream
Feb 17, 2026
Evidence: source:osv:source_dates:source-dates:recordSource modified
Sep 10, 2026
Evidence: source:osv:source_dates:source-dates:recordFirst seen by HOL
Aug 7, 2026
## Summary `Rack::Directory` generates an HTML directory index where each file entry is rendered as a clickable link. If a file exists on disk whose basename begins with the `javascript:` scheme (e.g. `javascript:alert(1)`), the generated index includes an anchor whose `href` attribute is exactly `javascript:alert(1)`. Clicking this entry executes arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the hosting application. This results in a client-side XSS condition in directory listings generated by `Rack::Directory`. ## Details `Rack::Directory` renders directory entries using an HTML row template similar to: ```html <a href='%s'>%s</a> ``` The `%s` placeholder is populated directly with the file’s basename. If the basename begins with `javascript:`, the resulting HTML contains an executable JavaScript URL: ```html <a href='javascript:alert(1)'>javascript:alert(1)</a> ``` Because the value is inserted directly into the `href` attribute without scheme validation or normalization, browsers interpret it as a JavaScript URI. When a user clicks the link, the JavaScript executes in the origin of the Rack application. ## Impact If `Rack::Directory` is used to expose filesystem contents over HTTP, an attacker who can create or upload files within that directory may introduce a malicious filename beginning with `javascript:`. When a user visits the directory listing and clicks the entry, arbitrary JavaScript executes in the application's origin. Exploitation requires user interaction (clicking the malicious entry). ## Mitigation * Update to a patched version of Rack in which `Rack::Directory` prefixes generated anchors with a relative path indicator (e.g. `./filename`). * Avoid exposing user-controlled directories via `Rack::Directory`. * Apply a strict Content Security Policy (CSP) to reduce impact of potential client-side execution issues. * Where feasible, restrict or sanitize uploaded filenames to disallow dangerous URI scheme prefixes. HackerOne profile: https://hackerone.com/thesmartshadow GitHub account owner: Ali Firas (@thesmartshadow)
Quoted source text, attributed separately from HOL analysis.