CVE-2026-72888

6.5 MEDIUM 0.5% exploit odds Fix listed Denial of service Library

What it is

Net::OAuth versions before 0.32 for Perl allow memory exhaustion via unbounded caching of failed module loads in smart_require. smart_require stores results in a process-global hash with no bound and no eviction, and keeps an entry for every class name it is asked about, including names that failed to load, because the return value of the failed eval is stored before the error is checked. The key comes off the wire on the server side: _signature_method_class builds the class name from the signature_method parameter of the incoming message, and verify resolves it before any signature is checked. A remote client chooses both how many entries are created and how long each key is. In a persistent server the hash grows for the life of the worker process until it exhausts memory. Header size limits bound the key length on the Authorization header path, but not on a POST body.

At a glance

Exploitability: Can be exploited over the network with a low-privilege account. High risk of service disruption.
Exploit odds: 0.5% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).
Fix: A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.

Timeline

2026-08-16 14:16 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2026-08-26 16:51 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Why it ranks here

Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
Exploit odds: 0.5% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
Severity: 6.5 MEDIUM (CVSS).
Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.

Details

Published: 2026-08-16 14:16 UTC
Last modified: 2026-08-26 16:51 UTC
Exploit probability: 0.5% · EPSS, next 30 days
Weakness: CWE-770 · Allocation without limits
Record status: Deferred

Attack profile CVSS 3.1 · 6.5

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: Low
Privileges needed: Low
User interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: None
Integrity: None
Availability: High

Raw vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Is it in your code?

Hand this to your coding agent. It searches your project for the affected products and checks versions. Nothing leaves your machine.

Read https://cve-list.com/agent/cve/CVE-2026-72888.md and follow it. Check whether this project is affected by CVE-2026-72888. Read only. Don't change anything and don't upload my code. Tell me yes, no or not sure, with the file as proof.

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Fix and advisories

References

NVD record · CVE.org record