CVE-2026-87078
Net::IDN::Punycode versions from 2.302 before 2.590 for Perl leak the output buffer on every rejected label in decode_punycode
Net::IDN::Punycode versions from 2.302 before 2.590 for Perl leak the output buffer on every rejected label in decode_punycode.
The XS backend allocates the scalar it returns before it validates the input, sizing the buffer at twice the input length. The scalar is released only on the success path, so each of the three croaks that reject a label leaves the scalar and its buffer allocated. Nothing bounds the label length in the to-Unicode direction, since the 63-byte DNS limit is checked only when converting to ASCII.
Only the XS backend is affected.
A sender who supplies invalid labels grows the process by twice the label length per rejected call, with no successful call needed.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
9.1
Net::IDN::Punycode versions from 2.302 before 2.590 for Perl leak the output buffer on every rejected label in decode_punycode
Net::IDN::Punycode versions from 2.302 before 2.590 for Perl leak the output buffer on every rejected label in decode_punycode.
The XS backend allocates the scalar it returns before it validates the input, sizing the buffer at twice the input length. The scalar is released only on the success path, so each of the three croaks that reject a label leaves the scalar and its buffer allocated. Nothing bounds the label length in the to-Unicode direction, since the 63-byte DNS limit is checked only when converting to ASCII.
Only the XS backend is affected.
A sender who supplies invalid labels grows the process by twice the label length per rejected call, with no successful call needed.
- Record
CVE-2026-87078- CVSS 3.1
- 9.1 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-401
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-84291
9.1
Net::IDN::Punycode versions from 2.302 before 2.590 for Perl leak the output buffer on every rejected label in decode_punycode.
The XS backend allocates the scalar it returns before it validates the input, sizing the buffer at twice the input length. The scalar is released only on the success path, so each of the three croaks that reject a label leaves the scalar and its buffer allocated. Nothing bounds the label length in the to-Unicode direction, since the 63-byte DNS limit is checked only when converting to ASCII.
Only the XS backend is affected.
A sender who supplies invalid labels grows the process by twice the label length per rejected call, with no successful call needed.
- Record
EUVD-2026-84291- CVSS 3.1
- 9.1 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-xcgq-9mhw-ww57
9.1
Net::IDN::Punycode versions from 2.302 before 2.590 for Perl leak the output buffer on every...
Net::IDN::Punycode versions from 2.302 before 2.590 for Perl leak the output buffer on every rejected label in decode_punycode.
The XS backend allocates the scalar it returns before it validates the input, sizing the buffer at twice the input length. The scalar is released only on the success path, so each of the three croaks that reject a label leaves the scalar and its buffer allocated. Nothing bounds the label length in the to-Unicode direction, since the 63-byte DNS limit is checked only when converting to ASCII.
Only the XS backend is affected.
A sender who supplies invalid labels grows the process by twice the label length per rejected call, with no successful call needed.
- Record
GHSA-xcgq-9mhw-ww57- CVSS 3.1
- 9.1 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-401
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
9.1
Net::IDN::Punycode versions from 2.302 before 2.590 for Perl leak the output buffer on every rejected label in decode_punycode.
The XS backend allocates the scalar it returns before it validates the input, sizing the buffer at twice the input length. The scalar is released only on the success path, so each of the three croaks that reject a label leaves the scalar and its buffer allocated. Nothing bounds the label length in the to-Unicode direction, since the 63-byte DNS limit is checked only when converting to ASCII.
Only the XS backend is affected.
A sender who supplies invalid labels grows the process by twice the label length per rejected call, with no successful call needed.
- Record
CVE-2026-87078- CVSS 3.1
- 9.1 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-401
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
9.1
Net::IDN::Punycode versions from 2.302 before 2.590 for Perl leak the output buffer on every rejected label in decode_punycode
Net::IDN::Punycode versions from 2.302 before 2.590 for Perl leak the output buffer on every rejected label in decode_punycode.
The XS backend allocates the scalar it returns before it validates the input, sizing the buffer at twice the input length. The scalar is released only on the success path, so each of the three croaks that reject a label leaves the scalar and its buffer allocated. Nothing bounds the label length in the to-Unicode direction, since the 63-byte DNS limit is checked only when converting to ASCII.
Only the XS backend is affected.
A sender who supplies invalid labels grows the process by twice the label length per rejected call, with no successful call needed.
- Record
CVE-2026-87078- CVSS 3.1
- 9.1 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-401
- Updated
- 2026-11-07
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2026-87078
9.1
Net::IDN::Punycode versions from 2.302 before 2.590 for Perl leak the output buffer on every rejected label in decode_punycode. The XS backend allocates the scalar it returns before it validates the input, sizing the buffer at twice the input length. The scalar is released only on the success path, so each of the three croaks that reject a label leaves the scalar and its buffer allocated. Nothing bounds the label length in the to-Unicode direction, since the 63-byte DNS limit is checked only when converting to ASCII. Only the XS backend is affected. A sender who supplies invalid labels grows the process by twice the label length per rejected call, with no successful call needed.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2026-87078- CVSS 3.1
- 9.1 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-03
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2026-87078
9.1
Net::IDN::Punycode versions from 2.302 before 2.590 for Perl leak the output buffer on every rejected label in decode_punycode. The XS backend allocates the scalar it returns before it validates the input, sizing the buffer at twice the input length. The scalar is released only on the success path, so each of the three croaks that reject a label leaves the scalar and its buffer allocated. Nothing bounds the label length in the to-Unicode direction, since the 63-byte DNS limit is checked only when converting to ASCII. Only the XS backend is affected. A sender who supplies invalid labels grows the process by twice the label length per rejected call, with no successful call needed.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2026-87078- CVSS 3.1
- 9.1 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-04
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2026:12468-1 No score
perl-Net-IDN-Encode-2.600.0-1.1 on GA media
These are all security issues fixed in the perl-Net-IDN-Encode-2.600.0-1.1 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2026:12468-1- Updated
- 2026-11-07
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
libnet-idn-encode-perlDebian:12 |
All versions, plus listed versions 2.500-32.500-52.502-12.600-1 |
None known |
libnet-idn-encode-perlDebian:13 |
All versions, plus listed versions 2.500-52.502-12.600-1 |
None known |
libnet-idn-encode-perlDebian:14 |
before 2.600-1, plus listed versions 2.500-52.502-1 |
2.600-1 |
libnet-idn-encode-perlUbuntu:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 2.400-1build1 |
None known |
libnet-idn-encode-perlUbuntu:20.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 2.500-12.500-1build1 |
None known |
libnet-idn-encode-perlUbuntu:22.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 2.500-1build22.500-22.500-2build1 |
None known |
libnet-idn-encode-perlUbuntu:24.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 2.500-32.500-3build12.500-3build22.500-5 |
None known |
libnet-idn-encode-perlUbuntu:26.10 |
All versions, plus listed versions 2.500-5build12.500-5build2 |
None known |
libnet-idn-encode-perlUbuntu:26.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 2.500-5build1 |
None known |
perl-Net-IDN-EncodeopenSUSE:Tumbleweed From an advisory covering 7 CVEs |
before 2.600.0-1.1 | 2.600.0-1.1 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| affected, aliases, references | OSV | |
| affected, facts | OSV | |
| affected, facts | OSV | |
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-87078 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.1) in libnet-idn-encode-perl, published September 22, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.39%, the 33rd percentile. Fixed in libnet-idn-encode-perl 2.600-1.
References
metacpan.org/release/PJCJ/Net-IDN-Encode-2.590-TRIAL/changes
github.com/robrwo/Net-IDN-Encode/commit/92572f726e48af5559de4cc8a831463b79dfb217.patch
github.com/robrwo/Net-IDN-Encode/commit/edad63e0eeeeb18d93bc6dfe4d9dcdff9c244e1b.patch
openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/09/22/13
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-87078
github.com/advisories/GHSA-xcgq-9mhw-ww57
Show 14 moreShow less
cpan.org/modules
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/87xxx/CVE-2026-87078.json
github.com/robrwo/Net-IDN-Encode
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-87078
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-87078
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-87078
lists.security.metacpan.org/cve-announce/msg/43753020
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-74765
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-74766
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-87078
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-87079
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-87080
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-87081
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-87082