Stored XSS in Rack::Directory via javascript: filenames rendered into anchor href

Open Source Vulnerabilities CVE-2026-25500

Rack is a modular Ruby web server interface. Prior to versions 2.2.22, 3.1.20, and 3.2.5, `Rack::Directory` generates an HTML directory index where each file entry is rendered as a clickable link. If a file exists on disk whose basename starts with the `javascript:` scheme (e.g. `javascript:alert(1)`), the generated index contains an anchor whose `href` is exactly `javascript:alert(1)`. Clicking the entry executes JavaScript in the browser (demonstrated with `alert(1)`). Versions 2.2.22, 3.1.20, and 3.2.5 fix the issue.

Open Source Vulnerabilities GHSA-whrj-4476-wvmp

## Summary `Rack::Directory` generates an HTML directory index where each file entry is rendered as a clickable link. If a file exists on disk whose basename begins with the `javascript:` scheme (e.g. `javascript:alert(1)`), the generated index includes an anchor whose `href` attribute is exactly `javascript:alert(1)`. Clicking this entry executes arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the hosting application. This results in a client-side XSS condition in directory listings generated by `Rack::Directory`. ## Details `Rack::Directory` renders directory entries using an HTML row template similar to: ```html <a href='%s'>%s</a> ``` The `%s` placeholder is populated directly with the file’s basename. If the basename begins with `javascript:`, the resulting HTML contains an executable JavaScript URL: ```html <a href='javascript:alert(1)'>javascript:alert(1)</a> ``` Because the value is inserted directly into the `href` attribute without scheme validation or normalization, browsers interpret it as a JavaScript URI. When a user clicks the link, the JavaScript executes in the origin of the Rack application. ## Impact If `Rack::Directory` is used to expose filesystem contents over HTTP, an attacker who can create or upload files within that directory may introduce a malicious filename beginning with `javascript:`. When a user visits the directory listing and clicks the entry, arbitrary JavaScript executes in the application's origin. Exploitation requires user interaction (clicking the malicious entry). ## Mitigation * Update to a patched version of Rack in which `Rack::Directory` prefixes generated anchors with a relative path indicator (e.g. `./filename`). * Avoid exposing user-controlled directories via `Rack::Directory`. * Apply a strict Content Security Policy (CSP) to reduce impact of potential client-side execution issues. * Where feasible, restrict or sanitize uploaded filenames to disallow dangerous URI scheme prefixes. HackerOne profile: https://hackerone.com/thesmartshadow GitHub account owner: Ali Firas (@thesmartshadow)