CVE-2026-110685: CWE-401 Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
Description
CVE-2026-110685 is a memory leak vulnerability in Cpanel::JSON::XS for Perl versions before 4.80. The flaw occurs when the THAW method of a tagged value dies during decoding, causing the decoded arguments to remain allocated and not released. This leads to memory exhaustion if many such errors occur in a running process.
Affected software
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Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
In Cpanel::JSON::XS versions prior to 4.80, when decoding JSON with allow_tags enabled, the class name and argument array of a tagged value are decoded and passed to the class's THAW method. If the THAW method dies (throws an exception) during decode_tag, the decoded argument structure is not released, resulting in a memory leak. An attacker can cause repeated errors to exhaust the process memory by sending specially crafted documents that trigger this condition.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability allows an attacker to cause a denial of service by exhausting the memory of the process using Cpanel::JSON::XS. This occurs because rejected documents leak memory proportional to the size of the data sent. There is no indication of code execution or data corruption beyond memory exhaustion.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade to Cpanel::JSON::XS version 4.80 or later where this memory leak is fixed. Since no vendor advisory or patch links are provided, check the official CPAN or vendor sources for the fixed version 4.80. Avoid using allow_tags if upgrading is not immediately possible to reduce exposure.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- CPANSec
- Date Reserved
- 2026-10-14T13:26:41.061Z
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6ad662bc2cdf04f656803413
Added to database: 10/19/2026, 18:34:36 UTC
Last enriched: 10/19/2026, 18:48:32 UTC
Last updated: 10/19/2026, 19:06:46 UTC
Views: 5
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