CVE-2024-56406
CVE-2024-56406 is a high-severity vulnerability in Perl with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.4. 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-787.
Key facts
- Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.4)
- EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (40th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2024-54400
- Weakness: CWE-787
- Affected product: Perl
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
A heap buffer overflow vulnerability was discovered in Perl. Release branches 5.34, 5.36, 5.38 and 5.40 are affected, including development versions from 5.33.1 through 5.41.10. When there are non-ASCII bytes in the left-hand-side of the `tr` operator, `S_do_trans_invmap` can overflow the destination pointer `d`. $ perl -e '$_ = "\x{FF}" x 1000000; tr/\xFF/\x{100}/;' Segmentation fault (core dumped) It is believed that this vulnerability can enable Denial of Service and possibly Code Execution attacks on platforms that lack sufficient defenses.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2024-56406?
- A heap buffer overflow vulnerability was discovered in Perl. Release branches 5.34, 5.36, 5.38 and 5.40 are affected, including development versions from 5.33.1 through 5.41.10. When there are non-ASCII bytes in the left-hand-side of the `tr` operator, `S_do_trans_invmap` can overflow the destination pointer `d`. $ perl -e '$_ = "\x{FF}" x 1000000; tr/\xFF/\x{100}/;' Segmentation fault (core dumped) It is believed that this vulnerability can enable Denial of Service and possibly Code Execution attacks on platforms that lack sufficient defenses.
- How severe is CVE-2024-56406?
- CVE-2024-56406 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.4, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2024-56406 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (40th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2024-56406?
- CVE-2024-56406 affects Perl. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2024-56406?
- 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.
- Does CVE-2024-56406 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
- Yes. CVE-2024-56406 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2024-54400.
- When was CVE-2024-56406 published?
- CVE-2024-56406 was published on 2025-04-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- https://github.com/Perl/perl5/commit/87f42aa0e0096e9a346c9672aa3a0bd3bef8c1dd.patch
- https://metacpan.org/release/SHAY/perl-5.38.4/changes
- https://metacpan.org/release/SHAY/perl-5.40.2/changes
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2025/04/13/3
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2025/04/13/4
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2025/04/13/5
Affected products (1)
- cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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