CVE-2020-10878Network attack vector

Instruction injection via regex offset overflow

Published Jun 5, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Code injection in Perl before 5.30.3 allows remote attackers to insert instructions into compiled bytecode via crafted regular expressions. The regular-expression compiler adds offsets while skipping NOTHING and LONGJMP nodes without reliably preventing integer overflow, corrupting its intermediate instruction stream. Applications are exposed only when they evaluate attacker-supplied regular expressions, allowing injected regex-engine instructions to run within the hosting Perl process.

CVSS severity8.6
High
EPSS probability4.88%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Code injection in Perl before 5.30.3 allows remote attackers to insert instructions into compiled bytecode via crafted regular expressions. The regular-expression compiler adds offsets while skipping NOTHING and LONGJMP nodes without reliably preventing integer overflow, corrupting its intermediate instruction stream. Applications are exposed only when they evaluate attacker-supplied regular expressions, allowing injected regex-engine instructions to run within the hosting Perl process.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-10878
Published
Jun 5, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 5, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

8.6NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H
7.5NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-190Integer Overflow or Wraparound

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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