HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2019-8320
HIGH

CVE-2019-8320

CWE-22Published: June 6, 2019· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.4
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

A Directory Traversal issue was discovered in RubyGems 2.7.6 and later through 3.0.2. Before making new directories or touching files (which now include path-checking code for symlinks), it would delete the target destination. If that destination was hidden behind a symlink, a malicious gem could delete arbitrary files on the user's machine, presuming the attacker could guess at paths. Given how frequently gem is run as sudo, and how predictable paths are on modern systems (/tmp, /usr, etc.), this could likely lead to data loss or an unusable system.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2019-8320 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.4.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityHigh
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

rubygems1 product(s)
rubygems
Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
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Official Patches & Advisories

All References (10)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2019-8320
CVSS Score7.4 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-22
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedJun 6, 2019

Related CVEs (CWE-22)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2019-8320 in threat intel feeds
  • Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.