Type confusion in Perl DBI profiling can crash the process
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · Low
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 5 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
DBI versions before 1.656 for Perl contain a type confusion flaw (CWE-843) in dbi_profile. When a database handle is destroyed while a profile path contains an {attr} element, dbi_profile dereferences the handle's inner hash as a reference, which can crash the process with SIGSEGV. A local attacker who can set the profile path, through the application, the Profile handle attribute or the DBI_PROFILE environment variable, can crash a program that uses DBI.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
Description from the CNA
DBI versions before 1.656 for Perl crash via type confusion in dbi_profile when a database handle is destroyed under a Profile Path with an {attr} element. An {attr} element names a database handle attribute, which dbi_profile reads from the handle's inner hash. It expects the inner handle as a reference and dereferences it, but a handle that is being destroyed hands back the inner hash itself, so the dereference yields the hash's bucket array. A type check on that pointer usually fails and the call goes unprofiled. When the memory it addresses passes the check, the attribute lookup dereferences a NULL or invalid pointer and the process dies on SIGSEGV. The Path is set by the application, by the Profile handle attribute, or by the DBI_PROFILE environment variable, so `DBI_PROFILE={ImplementorClass}` can crash an unmodified program.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- No
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | DBI | before 1.656 | 1.656 | Patch available | CNA |
- DBI Vendor— Affected before 1.656 Fixed in 1.656 Patch available CNA
Remediation
Upgrade DBI to version 1.656 or later. Red Hat lists Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 as affected with no fix planned, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9 and 10 as affected with no fix available.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
- Fix · CNA DBI Fixed in 1.656
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Timeline
- 2026-10-21 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-108518
- 2026-10-21 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-21 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 CVSS score added · CISA ADP
- 2026-10-30 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-30 Priority changed: LOW → MEDIUM
References
Sources
- CVE-2026-108518 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-108518 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- CVE-2026-108518 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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