CVE-2026-66066: Active Storage has possible arbitrary file read and remote code execution in Active Storage variant processing
In its default configuration, a Rails application that displays image variants may allow an
unauthenticated attacker to read arbitrary files from the server, including the process environment.
That environment typically holds secret_key_base and often credentials for external systems, which
may in turn allow escalation to remote code execution or lateral movement to those systems.
References
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-xr9x-r78c-5hrm
- github.com/rails/rails/commit/1c01bb587206ee6eb0e1179c2cef96a6a47acb1e
- github.com/rails/rails/commit/349e7a5d5b4b715af1e416db824f3c078a7d59e5
- github.com/rails/rails/commit/d79b7f4aa17dec8ce4960fef05733c8c0c7ef49a
- github.com/rails/rails/releases/tag/v7.2.3.2
- github.com/rails/rails/releases/tag/v8.0.5.1
- github.com/rails/rails/releases/tag/v8.1.3.1
- github.com/rails/rails/security/advisories/GHSA-xr9x-r78c-5hrm
- github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/activestorage/CVE-2026-66066.yml
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-66066
- thehackernews.com/2026/07/critical-rails-flaw-could-let.html
- www.cve.org/CVERecord/SearchResults?query=CVE-2026-66066
Code Behaviors & Features
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