How severe is CVE-2015-7686?

CVE-2015-7686 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.8, rated high severity.

Is CVE-2015-7686 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (86th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2015-7686?

CVE-2015-7686 affects Email-address Project Email-address. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2015-7686?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2015-7686 published?

CVE-2015-7686 was published on 2015-10-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2015-7686

CVE-2015-7686 is a high-severity vulnerability in Email-address Project Email-address with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-20.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 2.0 base score 7.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (86th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Email-address Project Email-address
Published: 2015-10-06
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Algorithmic complexity vulnerability in Address.pm in the Email-Address module 1.908 and earlier for Perl allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via a crafted string containing a list of e-mail addresses in conjunction with parenthesis characters that can be associated with nested comments. NOTE: the default configuration in 1.908 mitigates this vulnerability but misparses certain realistic comments.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2015-7686?: Algorithmic complexity vulnerability in Address.pm in the Email-Address module 1.908 and earlier for Perl allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via a crafted string containing a list of e-mail addresses in conjunction with parenthesis characters that can be associated with nested comments. NOTE: the default configuration in 1.908 mitigates this vulnerability but misparses certain realistic comments.
How severe is CVE-2015-7686?: CVE-2015-7686 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.8, rated high severity.
Is CVE-2015-7686 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (86th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2015-7686?: CVE-2015-7686 affects Email-address Project Email-address. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2015-7686?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2015-7686 published?: CVE-2015-7686 was published on 2015-10-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:email-address_project:email-address:*:*:*:*:*:perl:*:*

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