Use after free in OALDERS HTML::Entities
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · None · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
HTML::Entities versions before 3.84 for Perl read freed heap memory in _decode_entities. The XS routine backing HTML::Entities::_decode_entities cached a pointer (repl) into the entity-value SV returned by hv_fetch on the entity2char hash. When the input SV was identical to a value SV in that hash, and that value contained its own key as an entity reference, a later call to grow_gap() reallocated the SV's PV buffer and freed the backing allocation that repl still pointed into. The subsequent copy loop read repl_len bytes from the freed allocation. The read may disclose adjacent heap contents into the destination SV.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
- Fix · CNA HTML::Entities (OALDERS) Fixed in 3.84
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-8829
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-9p7j-9995-m88w
References
Sources
- CVE-2026-8829 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-8829 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-9p7j-9995-m88w · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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