CVE-2008-3655

Exp

Ruby 1.8.5 and earlier, 1.8.6 through 1.8.6-p286, 1.8.7 through 1.8.7-p71, and 1.9 through r18423 does not properly restrict access to critical variables and methods at various safe levels, which allows context-dependent attackers to bypass intended access restrictions via (1) untrace_var, (2) $PROGRAM_NAME, and (3) syslog at safe level 4, and (4) insecure methods at safe levels 1 through 3.

Published: 2008-08-12 Last update: 2026-06-16 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2008-3655 is rated High Exploit Risk (78.9/100): CVSS High severity, with high exploitation likelihood (EPSS 14.09%, 96th percentile). 4 public exploit reference(s) are indexed (Exploit-DB). Public exploits are available—assess exposure, apply mitigations, and prioritize patching.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Public exploit references (Exploit-DB) for CVE-2008-3655

EDB-ID Source Kind Published Link
32223 exploit_db edb 2008-08-11 Exploit-DB ↗
32224 exploit_db edb 2008-08-11 Exploit-DB ↗
— nvd_ref exploit_tag Exploit-DB ↗
— nvd_ref exploit_tag Exploit-DB ↗

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2008-3655

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-18 13.83% 14.09% +0.26%
2 2026-06-15 47.52% 13.83% -33.69%
3 2026-06-03 — 47.52% —

Full EPSS history (27 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2008-3655

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
7.5 2.0 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P Click to expand
Access vector (AV:N)
Can be exploited remotely over network reachability.
Access complexity (AC:L)
Exploitation conditions are straightforward and predictable.
Authentication (AU:N)
No authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:P)
Partial confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:P)
Partial integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:P)
Partial availability impact.
 10.0 6.4 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2008-3655

OS Trackers for CVE-2008-3655

vendor priority summary link
gentoo normal CVE-2008-3655: 1 GLSA(s) (200812-17), 1 atom(s) (dev-lang/ruby); latest impact normal. https://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?quicksearch=CVE-2008-3655
redhat medium — https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2008-3655
ubuntu low CVE-2008-3655 low priority: Ubuntu including 2 source packages (ruby1.8, ruby1.9), 24 status rows across 12 suites (dapper, feisty, gutsy, hardy, intrepid, jaunty, karmic, lucid, maverick, natty, oneiric, upstream): released 10, not-affected 7, ignored 4, DNE 3. https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2008-3655

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2008-3655

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
ruby-lang ruby <= 1.8.5 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.6.8 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.6.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.0 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.1 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.1 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.1:-9:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.2 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.2 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.2:preview2:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.2 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.2:preview3:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.2 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.2:preview4:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.3 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.3 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.3:preview1:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.3 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.3:preview2:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.3 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.3:preview3:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.4 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.4 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.4:preview1:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.4 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.4:preview2:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.4 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.4:preview3:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.5 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.5:p11:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.5 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.5:p113:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.5 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.5:p115:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.5 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.5:p12:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.5 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.5:p2:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.5 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.5:p35:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.5 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.5:preview1:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.5 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.5:preview2:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.5 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.5:preview3:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.5 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.5:preview4:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.5 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.5:preview5:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.6 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.6 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.6:p110:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.6 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.6:p111:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.6 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.6:p114:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.6 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.6:p230:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.6 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.6:p286:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.6 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.6:p36:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.6 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.6:preview1:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.6 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.6:preview2:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.6 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.6:preview3:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.7 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.7 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.7:p17:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.7 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.7:p22:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.7 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.7:p71:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.7 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.7:preview1:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.7 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.7:preview2:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.7 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.7:preview3:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.8.7 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.8.7:preview4:*:*:*:*:*:*
ruby-lang ruby 1.9.0 cpe:2.3:a:ruby-lang:ruby:1.9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2008-3655

URL Tags
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=494401
http://lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2009/May/msg00002.html
http://secunia.com/advisories/31430 Vendor Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/31697 Vendor Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/32165 Vendor Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/32219 Vendor Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/32255 Vendor Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/32256 Vendor Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/32371 Vendor Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/32372 Vendor Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/33178 Vendor Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/35074 Vendor Advisory
http://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-200812-17.xml
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3549
http://support.avaya.com/elmodocs2/security/ASA-2008-424.htm
http://wiki.rpath.com/wiki/Advisories:rPSA-2008-0264
http://www.debian.org/security/2008/dsa-1651 Patch
http://www.debian.org/security/2008/dsa-1652
http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2008-0895.html
http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2008-0897.html
http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/news/2008/08/08/multiple-vulnerabilities-in-ruby/ Exploit
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/495884/100/0/threaded
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/30644 Exploit Patch
http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1020656
http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA09-133A.html US Government Resource
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2008/2334 Vendor Advisory
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/1297 Patch Vendor Advisory
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/44369
https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A11602
https://usn.ubuntu.com/651-1/
https://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-package-announce/2008-October/msg00259.html
https://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-package-announce/2008-October/msg00299.html
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