The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of the 'per_page' GET parameter in pagination features. XSS occurs when user-controlled input (per_page) is reflected in HTML output without proper escaping. In Ruby on Rails frameworks, pagination logic typically resides in helper modules. The functions responsible for rendering pagination controls (per_page_selector) and generating pagination links (paginate) are prime candidates as they would directly handle the 'per_page' parameter. The high confidence comes from: 1) Direct correlation between the vulnerability description and pagination control functions, 2) CWE-79's focus on output neutralization failures, and 3) Standard Rails patterns for handling pagination parameters in helpers.