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Excessive memory allocation in Web::Simple for Perl

Priority LOW 39CWE-789Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Denial of service
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · None · None
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-789.

Summary

Web::Simple for Perl before 0.035 allocates a buffer sized by the Content-Length header when reading urlencoded body parameters. The read has no cap and its return value is ignored, so the declared length alone sets the allocation size (CWE-789). An unauthenticated remote attacker can send a Content-Length far larger than the body sent on a route with a body-parameter match.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06

Description from the CNA

Web::Simple versions before 0.035 for Perl allocate a buffer sized by the Content-Length header for urlencoded body parameters. Web::Dispatch::ParamParser::get_unpacked_body_from reads an application/x-www-form-urlencoded body using a single read call, with no cap and the return value ignored. Perl's read grows the buffer to the requested length before reading, so the declared Content-Length determines the allocation. An attacker can trigger this through any route whose dispatch specification has a % body-parameter match, such as sub (POST + %name=), sending a Content-Length far larger than the body actually sent. No authentication is involved.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00495 42nd percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed Web-Simple: 0.035

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

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
—Web-Simplebefore 0.0350.035Patch availableCNA
  • Web-Simple Vendor— Affected before 0.035 Fixed in 0.035 Patch available CNA

Remediation

Update Web-Simple to version 0.035. The sources list 0.035 as the fixed version.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06

  • Fix · CNA Web-Simple Fixed in 0.035

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat's page for this CVE →

Not affected: 1 product
  • Red Hat

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-24 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-114629
  2. 2026-10-24 Alias added: GHSA-38cx-9rf2-hq5v
  3. 2026-11-02 CVSS score added · CISA ADP
  4. 2026-11-02 CISA SSVC decision points changed
  5. 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
  6. 2026-11-06 CVSS score added · Red Hat

References

Sources