Action View is a framework for handling view template lookup and rendering and provides view helpers for building HTML. Prior to 8.1.4.1 and 8.0.5.2, ActionView::Helpers::TextHelper#highlight substitutes each matched phrase into the :highlighter string without escaping it and returns the result marked HTML-safe. Because sanitizing leaves quote characters in text unescaped, a match substituted into a quoted attribute value of the highlighter, such as the <a href="search?q=\1"> form shown in the method's documentation, could end the attribute value and add attributes to the element, possibly leading to XSS. Applications are affected when they pass a :highlighter that places a placeholder inside an attribute value and highlight text or phrases that a user controls. The default <mark>\1</mark> highlighter and the block form are not affected. This issue is fixed in versions 8.1.4.1 and 8.0.5.2.
Affected: RubyGems: actionview
### Impact `ActionView::Helpers::TextHelper#highlight` substitutes each matched phrase into the `:highlighter` string without escaping it and returns the result marked HTML-safe. Because sanitizing leaves quote characters in text unescaped, a match substituted into a quoted attribute value of the highlighter, such as the `<a href="search?q=\1">` form shown in the method's documentation, could end the attribute value and add attributes to the element, possibly leading to XSS. Applications are affected when they pass a `:highlighter` that places a placeholder inside an attribute value and highlight text or phrases that a user controls. The default `<mark>\1</mark>` highlighter and the block form are not affected.
### Details The fixed releases HTML-escape each group substituted into the `:highlighter` string, so quotes in a match are rendered as `"` and `'`. Only the numbered placeholders `\0` to `\9` are expanded; other `String#sub` replacement escapes, such as `\k<name>`, `\&` and `\\`, are left as written. A match can no longer begin on the `>` that closes a preceding tag. Escaping makes a placeholder safe as element content or inside a quoted attribute value, but not in an unquoted attribute value, a URL, JavaScript or CSS context, or an attribute whose value is HTML. See the Action View CHANGELOG for details.
### Workarounds Use a `:highlighter` that places the matched phrase only in element content, such as the default `<mark>\1</mark>`.
### Releases The fixe…
Affected: Ubuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS: rails, Ubuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS: rails, Ubuntu:Pro:20.04:LTS: rails, Ubuntu:Pro:22.04:LTS: rails, Ubuntu:24.04:LTS: rails, Ubuntu:26.10: rails, Ubuntu:26.04:LTS: rails
Action View is a framework for handling view template lookup and rendering and provides view helpers for building HTML. Prior to 8.1.4.1 and 8.0.5.2, ActionView::Helpers::TextHelper#highlight substitutes each matched phrase into the :highlighter string without escaping it and returns the result marked HTML-safe. Because sanitizing leaves quote characters in text unescaped, a match substituted into a quoted attribute value of the highlighter, such as the <a href="search?q=\1"> form shown in the method's documentation, could end the attribute value and add attributes to the element, possibly leading to XSS. Applications are affected when they pass a :highlighter that places a placeholder inside an attribute value and highlight text or phrases that a user controls. The default <mark>\1</mark> highlighter and the block form are not affected. This issue is fixed in versions 8.1.4.1 and 8.0.5.2.
Ein Angreifer kann mehrere Schwachstellen in Ruby on Rails ausnutzen, um beliebigen Programmcode auszuführen, um einen Denial of Service Angriff durchzuführen, um Informationen offenzulegen, um Daten zu manipulieren, um falsche Informationen darzustellen, um einen Cross-Site Scripting Angriff durchzuführen und um Sicherheitsvorkehrungen zu umgehen.