CVE-2008-3790: The REXML module in Ruby 1.8.6 through 1.8.6-p287, 1.8.7 through 1.8.7-p72, and 1.9 allows context-dependen...

Security readout for executives and security teams

CVE-2008-3790 is a denial-of-service issue in Ruby's REXML XML parser. A specially crafted XML document with recursively nested entities can consume excessive CPU. Business impact is service slowdown or outage where legacy Ruby systems parse untrusted XML. Exposure is most likely in legacy Ruby applications, packages, or appliances that still run the affected Ruby versions and process attacker-supplied XML through REXML. Systems not using REXML for untrusted XML have lower practical exposure. Treat as a legacy availability risk. It should be prioritized when affected Ruby systems parse external XML or support business-critical services, but the source bundle does not justify emergency response based on active exploitation. Mitigation focus: Upgrade Ruby or vendor packages per applicable distro or product advisory.; Apply the Ruby REXML expansion fix only where vendor guidance supports it.; Restrict or reject untrusted XML where REXML parsing is unavoidable..

Prepared

Jun 28, 2026, 18:33 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.