OCTOBER 10, 2026
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Case File

CVE-2026-74766

HIGH · CVSS 8.4 EPSS 0.19% Public Exploit

Source: NVD + CISA KEV + EPSS · Published 2026-09-22 · Last synced 2026-10-10

CyberRota Analysis

AI-Generated

The vulnerability affects the XS backend of Net::IDN::Punycode in Perl versions prior to 2.590, allowing for a heap use-after-free condition during the decoding of attacker-supplied Punycode labels. This can lead to arbitrary code execution or data corruption due to improper memory handling, making it critical for developers and organizations using affected versions to prioritize patching. Users of Perl applications that rely on this library should urgently update to mitigate potential exploitation risks.

Public Exploit Signal

A public exploit, PoC, GitHub repository or Metasploit reference was detected for this CVE.

Note: these links are listed for security research and verification purposes only.

CVE
CVE-2026-74766
Severity
HIGH
CVSS
8.4
EPSS
0.19%

Original NVD Description

Net::IDN::Punycode versions from 2.301 before 2.590 for Perl allow a heap use-after-free via a decoded code point that reallocates the output buffer in decode_punycode. The XS backend inserts each decoded code point into the string buffer of the scalar it returns. decode_punycode computes the insertion pointer first and only then grows the buffer when the code point does not fit. The growth reallocates the buffer and updates every pointer except the insertion pointer, so the move that follows and the write of the code point go through a freed pointer. The buffer starts at twice the label length, and a code point above U+FFFF takes four bytes in the output, so a label of such code points outgrows it and forces the reallocation. Version 2.301, the fix for CVE-2016-15059, introduced the defect. Only the XS backend is affected. Decoding an attacker-supplied punycode label reads and writes freed heap memory.