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Amazon Linux 2 : ruby, --advisory ALAS2-2025-2990 (ALAS-2025-2990)

critical Nessus Plugin ID 261341

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Synopsis

The remote Amazon Linux 2 host is missing a security update.

Description

The version of ruby installed on the remote host is prior to 2.0.0.648-36. It is, therefore, affected by a vulnerability as referenced in the ALAS2-2025-2990 advisory.

 An exploitable heap overflow vulnerability exists in the Psych::Emitter start_document function of Ruby.
 In Psych::Emitter start_document function heap buffer head allocation is made based on tags array length. Specially constructed object passed as element of tags array can increase this array size after mentioned allocation and cause heap overflow. (CVE-2016-2338)

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the tested product security advisory.

Note that Nessus has not tested for this issue but has instead relied only on the application's self-reported version number.

Solution

Run 'yum update ruby' or or 'yum update --advisory ALAS2-2025-2990' to update your system.

See Also

https://alas.aws.amazon.com//AL2/ALAS2-2025-2990.html

https://alas.aws.amazon.com/faqs.html

https://explore.alas.aws.amazon.com/CVE-2016-2338.html

Plugin Details

Severity: Critical

ID: 261341

File Name: al2_ALAS-2025-2990.nasl

Version: 1.1

Type: local

Agent: unix

Published: 9/4/2025

Updated: 9/4/2025

Supported Sensors: Frictionless Assessment AWS, Frictionless Assessment Agent, Nessus Agent, Agentless Assessment, Continuous Assessment, Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Medium

Score: 6.7

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: Critical

Base Score: 10

Temporal Score: 7.8

Vector: CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

CVSS Score Source: CVE-2016-2338

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: Critical

Base Score: 9.8

Temporal Score: 8.8

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Temporal Vector: CVSS:3.0/E:P/RL:O/RC:C

Vulnerability Information

CPE: p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:ruby-tcltk, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:rubygem-rake, cpe:/o:amazon:linux:2, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:ruby-debuginfo, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:rubygems, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:rubygem-bigdecimal, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:ruby-doc, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:ruby, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:ruby-devel, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:rubygems-devel, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:rubygem-minitest, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:rubygem-rdoc, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:rubygem-json, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:ruby-libs, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:ruby-irb, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:rubygem-io-console, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:rubygem-psych

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/AmazonLinux/release, Host/AmazonLinux/rpm-list

Exploit Available: true

Exploit Ease: No known exploits are available

Patch Publication Date: 9/4/2025

Vulnerability Publication Date: 6/14/2016

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2016-2338