CVE-2026-110672
Received Received - Intake

Memory Leak in Cpanel::JSON::XS Perl Module

Publication date: 2026-10-19

Last updated on: 2026-10-19

Assigner: CPANSec

Description
Cpanel::JSON::XS versions before 4.80 for Perl leak the decoded key of an object rejected for a duplicate key or a missing colon in decode_hv. A quoted key of 24 or more bytes, or one containing a non-ASCII byte or an escape sequence, is decoded into a new scalar. Nothing frees that scalar when the object is rejected for a missing ':' after the key or, from 4.09, for a duplicate key. Duplicate keys are an error unless allow_dupkeys, dupkeys_as_arrayref or relaxed is set. A process that keeps running after a failed decode retains one key per rejected document, with its size chosen by the sender. Repeated requests exhaust process memory.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-10-19
Last Modified
2026-10-19
Generated
2026-10-19
AI Q&A
2026-10-19
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-110672
EUVD
EUVD-2026-104553

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 2 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
cpanel json_xs to 4.80 (exc)
rurban cpanel_json_xs to 4.80 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-401 The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, making the memory unavailable for reallocation and reuse.

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a memory leak in Cpanel::JSON::XS versions before 4.80 for Perl. When decoding JSON objects with duplicate keys or missing colons, the library fails to free memory allocated for certain keys. Specifically, quoted keys of 24+ bytes or those with non-ASCII bytes/escape sequences are not properly cleaned up, causing memory exhaustion over repeated requests.

Detection Guidance

Detecting this vulnerability requires monitoring for memory leaks in Perl applications using Cpanel::JSON::XS versions before 4.80. Check running processes for excessive memory usage with tools like 'top', 'htop', or 'ps aux'. Look for Perl processes consuming unusually high memory. Review application logs for JSON parsing errors or crashes.

Impact Analysis

If you use affected versions of Cpanel::JSON::XS, an attacker could send maliciously crafted JSON data to exhaust server memory. This may lead to crashes, degraded performance, or denial-of-service conditions in applications relying on this library for JSON parsing.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability causes memory leaks in processes handling JSON decoding, which could lead to denial-of-service conditions due to resource exhaustion. For compliance standards like GDPR or HIPAA, which require data processing integrity and availability, such vulnerabilities may violate requirements for secure and reliable system operations if not addressed.

Mitigation Strategies

Immediately update Cpanel::JSON::XS to version 4.80 or later. If updating is not possible, disable JSON parsing in affected applications or restrict input to trusted sources. Monitor memory usage of Perl processes closely for signs of leaks.

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