CVE-2025-66568: ruby-saml Libxml2 Canonicalization errors can bypass Digest/Signature validation
Summary Ruby-saml up to and including 1.12.4, there is an authentication bypass vulnerability because of an issue at libxml2 canonicalization process used by Nokogiri for document transformation. That allows an attacker to be able to execute a Signature Wrapping attack. The vulnerability does not affect the version 1.18.0.
Details When libxml2’s canonicalization is invoked on an invalid XML input, it may return an empty string rather than a canonicalized node. ruby-saml then proceeds to compute the DigestValue over this empty string, treating it as if canonicalization succeeded.
Impact 1. Digest bypass: By crafting input that causes canonicalization to yield an empty string, the attacker can manipulate validation to pass incorrectly.
2. Signature replay on empty canonical form: If an empty string has been signed once (e.g., in a prior interaction or via a misconfigured flow), that signature can potentially be replayed to bypass authentication.
Other sources
The ruby-saml library implements the client side of an SAML authorization. Versions up to and including 1.12.4, are vulnerable to authentication bypass through the libxml2 canonicalization process used by Nokogiri for document transformation, which allows an attacker to execute a Signature Wrapping attack. When libxml2’s canonicalization is invoked on an invalid XML input, it may return an empty string rather than a canonicalized node. ruby-saml then proceeds to compute the DigestValue over this empty string, treating it as if canonicalization succeeded. This issue is fixed in version 1.18.0.
— MITRE
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2025-66568?
CVE-2025-66568 is classified as a critical authentication bypass vulnerability.
How do I fix CVE-2025-66568?
To resolve CVE-2025-66568, upgrade ruby-saml to version 1.18.0 or later.
Which versions of ruby-saml are affected by CVE-2025-66568?
ruby-saml versions up to and including 1.12.4 are affected by CVE-2025-66568.
What type of attack can be executed due to CVE-2025-66568?
CVE-2025-66568 allows attackers to perform Signature Wrapping attacks.
What library is involved in the CVE-2025-66568 vulnerability?
The vulnerability involves issues with the libxml2 canonicalization process used by Nokogiri.