Moderate severityNVD Advisory· Published Jun 22, 2012· Updated Apr 29, 2026

CVE-2012-2660

Description

Ruby on Rails before 3.0.13, 3.1.5, 3.2.4 allows attackers to inject IS NULL clauses into SQL queries via crafted parameters with [nil] values.

AI Insight

LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.

Ruby on Rails before 3.0.13, 3.1.5, 3.2.4 allows attackers to inject IS NULL clauses into SQL queries via crafted parameters with [nil] values.

Vulnerability

The vulnerability resides in actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/http/request.rb in Ruby on Rails. It arises from a mismatch in parameter parsing between the Active Record component and the Rack interface. When a request includes parameters like ?token[] (without a value), Rack parses them as an array containing a single nil element ([nil]). Active Record then interprets this as a condition for an IS NULL clause in SQL queries. All versions of Rails before 3.0.13, 3.1.x before 3.1.5, and 3.2.x before 3.2.4 are affected [4].

Exploitation

An attacker can craft an HTTP request with parameters that produce [nil] values, such as ?token[]. This bypasses typical nil checks like unless params[:token].nil? because [nil] is not nil. No authentication is required if the endpoint is publicly accessible. The attacker simply sends the malicious request to a vulnerable application; no special network position or user interaction is needed [4].

Impact

Successful exploitation allows the attacker to force the application to execute database queries with unexpected IS NULL clauses. This can lead to unintended data exposure or bypass of security controls, such as password reset token validation. However, the attacker cannot inject arbitrary SQL values; only NULL checks are affected. The impact is limited to information disclosure or privilege escalation depending on the query context [4].

Mitigation

Fixed versions are Rails 3.0.13, 3.1.5, and 3.2.4, released on June 12, 2012 [4]. Workarounds include explicitly checking for [nil] (e.g., params[:token] == [nil]) or casting to a known type (e.g., params[:token].to_s.empty?). Red Hat issued advisory RHSA-2013:0154 for affected products [1]. Users should upgrade to the fixed versions or apply the patches provided by the Rails team [4]. No KEV listing exists.

References

AI Insight generated on May 23, 2026. Synthesized from this CVE's description and the cited reference URLs; citations are validated against the source bundle.

Affected packages

Versions sourced from the GitHub Security Advisory.

Package	Affected versions	Patched versions
actionpackRubyGems	>= 3.0.0.beta, < 3.0.13	3.0.13
actionpackRubyGems	>= 3.1.0, < 3.1.5	3.1.5
actionpackRubyGems	>= 3.2.0, < 3.2.4	3.2.4
actionpackRubyGems	< 2.3.16	2.3.16

Affected products

Rubyonrails/Rails69 versions
cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*+ 68 more
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.0:beta:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.0:beta2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.0:beta3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.0:beta4:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.0:rc:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.10:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.12:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.13:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.1:pre:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.2:pre:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.4:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.5:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.6:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.6:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.7:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.7:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.8:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.8:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.8:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.8:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.9:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.9:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.9:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.9:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.0.9:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.0:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.0:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.0:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.0:rc8:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.1:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.2:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.4:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.1.5:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.2.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.2.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.2.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.2.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.2.3:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.2.3:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:rails:3.2.4:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
Rubyonrails/Ruby On Rails
cpe:2.3:a:rubyonrails:ruby_on_rails:3.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
ghsa-coords
pkg:gem/actionpack
Range: >= 3.0.0.beta, < 3.0.13

Patches

61eed87ce32c

backporting deep_munge

https://github.com/rails/railsAaron PattersonJan 24, 2013via ghsa

commit

2 files changed · +27 −1

actionpack/lib/action_controller/request.rb+21 −0 modified

@@ -491,5 +491,26 @@ def normalize_parameters(value)
           value
         end
       end
+    protected
+
+    # Remove nils from the params hash
+    def deep_munge(hash)
+      hash.each_value do |v|
+        case v
+        when Array
+          v.grep(Hash) { |x| deep_munge(x) }
+        when Hash
+          deep_munge(v)
+        end
+      end
+
+      keys = hash.keys.find_all { |k| hash[k] == [nil] }
+      keys.each { |k| hash[k] = nil }
+      hash
+    end
+
+    def parse_query(qs)
+      deep_munge(super)
+    end
   end
 end

actionpack/test/controller/request/query_string_parsing_test.rb+6 −1 modified

@@ -81,7 +81,12 @@ def teardown
   end
 
   test "query string without equal" do
-    assert_parses({ "action" => nil }, "action")
+    assert_parses({"action" => nil}, "action")
+    assert_parses({"action" => {"foo" => nil}}, "action[foo]")
+    assert_parses({"action" => {"foo" => { "bar" => nil }}}, "action[foo][bar]")
+    assert_parses({"action" => {"foo" => { "bar" => nil }}}, "action[foo][bar][]")
+    assert_parses({"action" => {"foo" => nil}}, "action[foo][]")
+    assert_parses({"action"=>{"foo"=>[{"bar"=>nil}]}}, "action[foo][][bar]")
   end
 
   test "query string with empty key" do

Vulnerability mechanics

Generated on May 9, 2026. Inputs: CWE entries + fix-commit diffs from this CVE's patches. Citations validated against bundle.

References

News mentions

No linked articles in our index yet.

cvss	0.260
epss	0.000
exploit	0.000
kev	0.000
patch	-0.070
ransomware	0.000