Infinite loop in podlators
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-835.
Summary
Pod::Text versions before 6.1.1 for Perl allow CPU and memory exhaustion formatting a POD document whose =over nesting drives the margin to the output width. Each =over adds its indent to the margin, which wrap() subtracts from the output width to get the space available for text. When that space reaches zero, the line-splitting substitution matches the empty string, and the loop consumes no input while appending the margin padding on every pass. Formatting an attacker-supplied POD document never returns, and the output grows until memory is exhausted.
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
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | podlators | before 6.1.1 | 6.1.1 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | perl | up to 5.45.2 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- podlators Vendor— Affected before 6.1.1 Fixed in 6.1.1 Patch available CNA
- perl Vendor— Affected up to 5.45.2 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
Remediation
- Fix · CNA podlators Fixed in 6.1.1
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-82560
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-qcgj-vx8w-rqfq
- 2026-10-28 EPSS moved to the 50th–90th percentile
References
Sources
- CVE-2026-82560 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-82560 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-qcgj-vx8w-rqfq · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences