Incorrect regex matching via stale prescan failure flag
Published Aug 13, 2026 · Updated Aug 13, 2026
Incorrect regular expression matching in Perl 5.9.4 through 5.41.8 allows attackers to cause wrong application decisions via crafted input. In regexec.c, S_find_byclass leaves the failed flag set after a successful Aho-Corasick fallback transition, so its prescan stops before recording an earlier valid candidate. Exposure depends on an application using affected alternations for attacker-influenced data; a missed or wrong branch can invalidate an access or filtering decision.
Summary
What happened
Incorrect regular expression matching in Perl 5.9.4 through 5.41.8 allows attackers to cause wrong application decisions via crafted input. In regexec.c, S_find_byclass leaves the failed flag set after a successful Aho-Corasick fallback transition, so its prescan stops before recording an earlier valid candidate. Exposure depends on an application using affected alternations for attacker-influenced data; a missed or wrong branch can invalidate an access or filtering decision.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-19487
- Published
- Aug 13, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 13, 2026
- Vendor
- The Perl Foundation
- Product
- Perl
- Classifications
- CWE-670
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 13, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 13, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=5.9.4 <5.41.9
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Upstream regex mismatch reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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