Evidence used
- No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
- A structured source references public exploit or proof-of-concept material.
- EPSS is 3.14% for the current model date.
BlackTreeCVE IntelligenceFull vulnerability report · 2013
CVE-2013-4389High confidence
Affected product: Use of Externally-Controlled Format String
Unknown · Unknown
4.3MediumCVSS 2.0
Within 7 days
Fix not verifiedMedium technical severity with public exploit material referenced by a structured source; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.
R
Open reassessment dashboard →Operational reassessment
Published severity in operational context
Published severityMedium→Operational priority:Medium, unchanged from published severity.unchanged
Compensating controls
- Restrict local access and enforce least privilege on affected hosts.
- Increase monitoring for the attack path and post-exploitation behaviour described in the report.
Verification
- Confirm that the asset runs Unknown Unknown and falls inside the recorded affected range.
- Recheck the vendor advisory before scheduling a change because no verified fixed version is currently retained.
- Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
- Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Distribution package intelligence
4 package statesRelease-specific package status
Debian findings are scoped to the named distribution, release and source package. An absent finding does not mean a package is unaffected.
Repository candidate not checked
A published vendor fix does not prove that a matching update is enabled and installable on a particular asset. Confirm the local package candidate before scheduling remediation.
| Distribution release | Source package | Vendor state | Fixed version | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debian trixietrixie · source | rails | Not affectedDebian marks this release not affected (fixed-version marker 0). | Not published in this feed | Debian Security Tracker ↗Source updated 22 Oct 2026 |
| Debian bookwormbookworm · source | rails | Not affectedDebian marks this release not affected (fixed-version marker 0). | Not published in this feed | Debian Security Tracker ↗Source updated 22 Oct 2026 |
| Debian forkyforky · source | rails | Not affectedDebian marks this release not affected (fixed-version marker 0). | Not published in this feed | Debian Security Tracker ↗Source updated 22 Oct 2026 |
| Debian sidsid · source | rails | Not affectedDebian marks this release not affected (fixed-version marker 0). | Not published in this feed | Debian Security Tracker ↗Source updated 22 Oct 2026 |
Open-source package ranges2 source-attributed ranges
These OSV and GitHub advisory ranges apply only to the named package and ecosystem. A listed fixed version is not a universal product patch or proof that an update is installed.
| Ecosystem and package | Affected range | First fixed version | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| RubyGemsactionmailer | ECOSYSTEM: introduced 3.0.0; fixed 3.2.15 | 3.2.15 | OSV record ↗aggregator derived · 6 Dec 2024 |
| rubygemsactionmailer | >= 3.0.0, < 3.2.15 | 3.2.15 | GitHub advisory ↗github reviewed aggregator · 6 Nov 2023 |
Medium technical severity with public exploit material referenced by a structured source; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.
Fix not verified01
What, why and how
Multiple format string vulnerabilities in log_subscriber.rb files in the log subscriber component in Action Mailer in Ruby on Rails 3.x before 3.2.15 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a crafted e-mail address that is improperly handled during construction of a log message.
What
Multiple format string vulnerabilities in log_subscriber.rb files in the log subscriber component in Action Mailer in Ruby on Rails 3.x before 3.2.15 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a crafted e-mail address that is improperly handled during construction of a log message.
Why
The product uses a function that accepts a format string as an argument, but the format string originates from an external source.
How
An attacker operating through the affected interface may attempt exploitation when the stated preconditions are met. If successful, the issue may disrupt the affected service.
What
Multiple format string vulnerabilities in log_subscriber.rb files in the log subscriber component in Action Mailer in Ruby on Rails 3.x before 3.2.15 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a crafted e-mail address that is improperly handled during construction of a log message.
Why
The product uses a function that accepts a format string as an argument, but the format string originates from an external source.
How
An attacker operating through the affected interface may attempt exploitation when the stated preconditions are met. If successful, the issue may disrupt the affected service.
02
Exploit reality and attack path
CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.
Observed exploitation No confirmed evidence
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.
Public PoC / exploit material Reference recorded
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.A structured CVE source labels at least one public reference as exploit material. BlackTree has not independently validated that it is safe, reliable or weaponised.
- Likely attack path
- the affected interface → Use of Externally-Controlled Format String → disrupt the affected service
- Attack surface
- Unspecified
- Privileges required
- None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
- User interaction
- Not stated in the selected CVSS metric
- Attack complexity
- Not stated in the selected CVSS metric
- Security boundary
- Not stated in the selected CVSS metric
- Weakness
?
CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness. - CWE-134 ↗
CWE-134: Use of Externally-Controlled Format String. The product uses a function that accepts a format string as an argument, but the format string originates from an external source.
- CVSS vector
?
CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity. AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P- Post-exploitation / living off the land
- No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
03
Patch and workaround
Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.
- Status
?
Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change. - Fix not verified
- Affected
- n/a
- Fixed
- No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
- Action
- No verified patch reference is present in the current structured sources. Check the vendor advisory before making a change.
- Workaround
- No verified workaround is recorded. Limit untrusted access and use least privilege until authoritative guidance is available.
04
Evidence and provenance
Published 17 Oct 2013 · Last source change 6 Aug 2024, 16:45 UTC · CWE-134 · Use of Externally-Controlled Format String
CVE recordCVE.org · 5.1
CVSS sourceNIST NVD
EPSS source FIRST · tracked since 2026-09-13
?
The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2017-0301
Product sourceUnavailable
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceNIST NVD
NVD statusNVD modified after enrichment
Missing structured fields: affected product. Missing data is not evidence of low risk; review the primary advisory.
Material change intelligence
View recent updates ↗What changed after publication
- ENISA EUVD mappingEUVD-2017-0301 was added to the official ENISA EUVD mapping for this CVE.ENISA EUVD ↗
- Before
- not recorded
- After
- {"euvdId":"EUVD-2017-0301"}
- Vendor guidanceAuthoritative vendor guidance changed: removed vendor advisory: debian.org/dsa-2887; removed vendor advisory: debian.org/dsa-2888; 3 further removals.CNA ↗
- Before
- vendor advisory: debian.org/dsa-2887 · vendor advisory: debian.org/dsa-2888 · vendor advisory: lists.opensuse.org/msg00003.html · 2 more references
- After
- no authoritative guidance recorded
- Public exploit evidencePublic exploit evidence changed from No public exploit to Public exploit reference.groups.google.com ↗
- Before
- No public exploit
- After
- Public exploit reference
- SeveritySeverity changed from Unknown to Medium.NIST NVD ↗
- Before
- Unknown
- After
- Medium
- CVSS scoreCVSS score changed from not recorded to 4.3 (CVSS 2.0 · NIST NVD · AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P).NIST NVD ↗
- Before
- not recorded
- After
- 4.3 (CVSS 2.0 · NIST NVD · AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P)
- Catalogue recordCVE added to the BlackTree catalogue.CNA ↗
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
- CVE
- Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
- CVSS
- Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
- EPSS
- Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
- CWE
- Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
- CNA
- CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
- CISA ADP
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
- NVD
- National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
- CERT / CSIRT
- A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
- PoC
- Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
- CSAF
- Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
- LoTL
- Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.