CVE-2026-111879
Received Received - Intake

DBI Perl Module Lock File Hang Vulnerability

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-111879, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-10-20

Last updated on: 2026-10-30

Assigner: CPANSec

Description

DBI versions before 1.656 for Perl hang on a later open of a DBD::DBM table because a failed open_data does not release the table's lock. open_data creates the table's lock file and takes an exclusive flock on it for a CREATE, before the checks that can croak: a dbm_mldbm value that is not a module name, a failing tie, or a missing data file. The croak unwinds before the table object is blessed, so nothing releases the lock, and the meta data holding the open descriptor stays cached on the database handle. The dbm_mldbm and dbm_type values come from the DSN or the connect attributes, so a caller that chooses the serializer or the storage backend can trigger the failure. The flock has no timeout, so a later open of that table (even through a separate database handle) blocks for as long as the handle holding the stale lock lives, in the same process or any other.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published
2026-10-20
Last Modified
2026-10-30
Generated
2026-11-10
AI Q&A
2026-10-21
EPSS Evaluated
2026-11-08
NVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Currently, no data is known.

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-667 The product does not properly acquire or release a lock on a resource, leading to unexpected resource state changes and behaviors.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability affects Perl's DBI module versions before 1.656. When opening a DBD::DBM table, a failed operation does not release a lock file, causing subsequent attempts to hang indefinitely. The issue occurs because the lock is acquired before checks that could fail, leaving the lock active even after the operation fails.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability can be detected by checking for hanging processes or blocked file locks related to Perl DBI/DBD::DBM operations. Look for Perl scripts using DBI with DBD::DBM that remain unresponsive. Check for stale lock files in the DBD::DBM storage directory. Monitor system processes for Perl interpreters stuck in an uninterruptible state.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can cause applications to hang when accessing certain database tables, leading to unresponsive systems or processes. It may disrupt database operations and require restarting affected services to resolve the deadlock.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards as it pertains to a Perl DBI library hang issue rather than data privacy or security controls. Compliance impacts would only occur if the hang disrupts data availability or integrity in systems handling regulated data.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade DBI to version 1.656 or later. Restart any Perl processes using DBD::DBM to release stale locks. Review DBI/DBD::DBM usage in scripts to avoid passing untrusted DSN attributes like dbm_mldbm or dbm_type. Terminate any hanging Perl processes holding locks.

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