CVE-2022-23517Network attack vector

Denial of service via SVG attribute backtracking

Published Dec 14, 2022 · Updated Nov 3, 2025

Inefficient regex processing in rails-html-sanitizer before 1.4.4 allows remote attackers to exhaust CPU with crafted SVG attributes. The SafeListSanitizer attribute scrubber applies a backtracking-prone URL regex to untrusted values of permitted SVG reference attributes. Exposure requires a configuration that permits an affected SVG attribute; crafted input can stall request processing.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability1.45%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Inefficient regex processing in rails-html-sanitizer before 1.4.4 allows remote attackers to exhaust CPU with crafted SVG attributes. The SafeListSanitizer attribute scrubber applies a backtracking-prone URL regex to untrusted values of permitted SVG reference attributes. Exposure requires a configuration that permits an affected SVG attribute; crafted input can stall request processing.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-23517
Published
Dec 14, 2022
Updated
Nov 3, 2025
Vendor
Rails
Product
rails-html-sanitizer
Classifications
CWE-1333, T1499.003
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 14, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 3, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=< 1.4.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Rails · rails-html-sanitizerversion=< 1.4.4

Published CVSS scores

7.5NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.5GitHubCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-1333Inefficient Regular Expression Complexity
T1499.003Application Exhaustion Flood

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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