CVE-2026-4851: CWE-502 Deserialization of Untrusted Data in CASIANO GRID::Machine
GRID::Machine versions through 0.127 for Perl allows arbitrary code execution via unsafe deserialization. GRID::Machine provides Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) over SSH for Perl. The client connects to remote hosts to execute code on them. A compromised or malicious remote host can execute arbitrary code back on the client through unsafe deserialization in the RPC protocol. read_operation() in lib/GRID/Machine/Message.pm deserialises values from the remote side using eval() $arg .= '$VAR1'; my $val = eval "no strict; $arg"; # line 40-41 $arg is raw bytes from the protocol pipe. A compromised remote host can embed arbitrary perl in the Dumper-formatted response: $VAR1 = do { system("..."); }; This executes on the client silently on every RPC call, as the return values remain correct. This functionality is by design but the trust requirement for the remote host is not documented in the distribution.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
GRID::Machine is a Perl module providing RPC over SSH, allowing clients to execute code on remote hosts. The vulnerability exists in the deserialization process within read_operation() in lib/GRID/Machine/Message.pm, where raw bytes from the remote host are deserialized using eval() without sanitization. A malicious remote host can embed arbitrary Perl code in the Dumper-formatted response, which executes on the client silently during every RPC call. This results in arbitrary code execution on the client side, compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows a malicious or compromised remote host to execute arbitrary code on the client machine running GRID::Machine. This can lead to full system compromise, data theft, or disruption of services. The CVSS score of 9.8 reflects the critical nature of this vulnerability with network attack vector, no required privileges or user interaction, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Mitigation Recommendations
No official patch or fix is currently available for this vulnerability. Users should treat remote hosts as fully trusted when using GRID::Machine and avoid connecting to untrusted or potentially compromised hosts. Monitor the vendor advisory for updates regarding patches or official remediation. Until a fix is released, restrict usage to trusted environments only.
CVE-2026-4851: CWE-502 Deserialization of Untrusted Data in CASIANO GRID::Machine
Description
GRID::Machine versions through 0.127 for Perl allows arbitrary code execution via unsafe deserialization. GRID::Machine provides Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) over SSH for Perl. The client connects to remote hosts to execute code on them. A compromised or malicious remote host can execute arbitrary code back on the client through unsafe deserialization in the RPC protocol. read_operation() in lib/GRID/Machine/Message.pm deserialises values from the remote side using eval() $arg .= '$VAR1'; my $val = eval "no strict; $arg"; # line 40-41 $arg is raw bytes from the protocol pipe. A compromised remote host can embed arbitrary perl in the Dumper-formatted response: $VAR1 = do { system("..."); }; This executes on the client silently on every RPC call, as the return values remain correct. This functionality is by design but the trust requirement for the remote host is not documented in the distribution.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
GRID::Machine is a Perl module providing RPC over SSH, allowing clients to execute code on remote hosts. The vulnerability exists in the deserialization process within read_operation() in lib/GRID/Machine/Message.pm, where raw bytes from the remote host are deserialized using eval() without sanitization. A malicious remote host can embed arbitrary Perl code in the Dumper-formatted response, which executes on the client silently during every RPC call. This results in arbitrary code execution on the client side, compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows a malicious or compromised remote host to execute arbitrary code on the client machine running GRID::Machine. This can lead to full system compromise, data theft, or disruption of services. The CVSS score of 9.8 reflects the critical nature of this vulnerability with network attack vector, no required privileges or user interaction, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Mitigation Recommendations
No official patch or fix is currently available for this vulnerability. Users should treat remote hosts as fully trusted when using GRID::Machine and avoid connecting to untrusted or potentially compromised hosts. Monitor the vendor advisory for updates regarding patches or official remediation. Until a fix is released, restrict usage to trusted environments only.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- CPANSec
- Date Reserved
- 2026-03-25T14:56:47.454Z
- Cvss Version
- null
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 69c879aa919ccadcdf6dd163
Added to database: 3/29/2026, 1:00:26 AM
Last enriched: 4/5/2026, 10:37:07 AM
Last updated: 5/12/2026, 11:13:40 AM
Views: 168
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