5.3
MEDIUM CVSS 4.0
CVE-2026-33173
Rails Active Storage has possible content type bypass via metadata in direct uploads
Description

Active Storage allows users to attach cloud and local files in Rails applications. Prior to versions 8.1.2.1, 8.0.4.1, and 7.2.3.1, `DirectUploadsController` accepts arbitrary metadata from the client and persists it on the blob. Because internal flags like `identified` and `analyzed` are stored in the same metadata hash, a direct-upload client can set these flags to skip MIME detection and analysis. This allows an attacker to upload arbitrary content while claiming a safe `content_type`, bypassing any validations that rely on Active Storage's automatic content type identification. Versions 8.1.2.1, 8.0.4.1, and 7.2.3.1 contain a patch.

INFO

Published Date :

March 24, 2026, 12:16 a.m.

Last Modified :

March 24, 2026, 12:16 a.m.

Remotely Exploit :

Yes !
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-33173 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

No affected product recoded yet

CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 4.0 MEDIUM [email protected]
Solution
Update Active Storage to patched versions to prevent arbitrary file uploads.
  • Update Active Storage to version 8.1.2.1 or later.
  • Update Active Storage to version 8.0.4.1 or later.
  • Update Active Storage to version 7.2.3.1 or later.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-33173 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-33173 weaknesses.

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2026-33173 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-33173 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • New CVE Received by [email protected]

    Mar. 24, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Description Active Storage allows users to attach cloud and local files in Rails applications. Prior to versions 8.1.2.1, 8.0.4.1, and 7.2.3.1, `DirectUploadsController` accepts arbitrary metadata from the client and persists it on the blob. Because internal flags like `identified` and `analyzed` are stored in the same metadata hash, a direct-upload client can set these flags to skip MIME detection and analysis. This allows an attacker to upload arbitrary content while claiming a safe `content_type`, bypassing any validations that rely on Active Storage's automatic content type identification. Versions 8.1.2.1, 8.0.4.1, and 7.2.3.1 contain a patch.
    Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
    Added CWE CWE-925
    Added Reference https://github.com/rails/rails/commit/707c0f1f41f067fdf96d54e99d43b28dfaae7e53
    Added Reference https://github.com/rails/rails/commit/8fcb934caadc79c8cc4ce53287046d0f67005b3e
    Added Reference https://github.com/rails/rails/commit/d9502f5214e2198245a4c1defe9cd02a7c8057d0
    Added Reference https://github.com/rails/rails/releases/tag/v7.2.3.1
    Added Reference https://github.com/rails/rails/releases/tag/v8.0.4.1
    Added Reference https://github.com/rails/rails/releases/tag/v8.1.2.1
    Added Reference https://github.com/rails/rails/security/advisories/GHSA-qcfx-2mfw-w4cg
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.