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CVE Record

CVE-2017-11465: The parser_yyerror function in the UTF-8 parser in Ruby 2.4.1 allows attackers to cause a denial of service...

The parser_yyerror function in the UTF-8 parser in Ruby 2.4.1 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (invalid write or read) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted Ruby script, related to the parser_tokadd_utf8 function in parse.y. NOTE: this might have security relevance as a bypass of a $SAFE protection mechanism.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysisunknown

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2017-11465 is a Ruby 2.4.1 parser flaw. A crafted Ruby script can crash the interpreter through invalid memory access and may have other unspecified impact. The record also notes possible relevance to bypassing Ruby $SAFE protections, but details are limited.

Executive priority

Treat this as targeted technical debt unless Ruby 2.4.1 runs untrusted Ruby code. Prioritize remediation for shared platforms, plugin systems, CI automation, or customer-controlled scripting environments. Business urgency is lower where Ruby is absent or attacker-supplied Ruby code is not parsed.

Technical view

The issue is in parser_yyerror in Ruby's UTF-8 parser, related to parser_tokadd_utf8 in parse.y. The published impact is denial of service through invalid write or read, with possible unspecified impact and possible $SAFE bypass relevance. The source bundle does not provide CVSS, CWE, or complete affected-version metadata.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely where Ruby 2.4.1 parses or runs Ruby scripts supplied by users, plugins, tenants, or other untrusted sources. Systems not using Ruby 2.4.1, or not accepting crafted Ruby code, appear less directly exposed based on the available sources.

Exploitation context

The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing, active exploitation, public exploit use, or weaponized details. The described trigger is a crafted Ruby script, so exploitation depends on an attacker getting Ruby code parsed or executed by the affected interpreter.

Researcher notes

The CVE metadata is sparse: no CVSS, CWE, CPE list, or named fixed release is provided in the bundle. Analysis should stay tied to Ruby 2.4.1, the Ruby bug, and revision 59344 until vendor or distribution advisories provide clearer version boundaries.

Mitigation direction

  • Inventory systems, containers, and build images for Ruby 2.4.1 usage.
  • Check Ruby issue 13742 and revision 59344 for vendor correction details.
  • Upgrade affected runtimes following official Ruby guidance or supported distribution packages.
  • Avoid parsing or executing untrusted Ruby scripts on affected runtimes.
  • Do not rely on $SAFE as a security boundary without vendor confirmation.

Validation and detection

  • Confirm whether any production or CI hosts still run Ruby 2.4.1.
  • Identify features that accept Ruby scripts, templates, plugins, or tenant-controlled code.
  • Review whether $SAFE is used for isolation or policy enforcement.
  • Verify upgraded runtimes include the upstream parser correction.
  • Run application regression tests after changing Ruby versions.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
4

Public sources used

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

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
3Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.