CVE-2026-9538
HIGHDescription
Archive::Tar versions before 3.10 for Perl allow memory exhaustion via attacker controlled entry size field in tar header. _read_tar() reads each entry's payload with $handle->read($$data, $block), where $block is derived from the entry's 12-byte size field in the tar header with no upper bound on that value. A crafted header declaring a multi-gigabyte size causes Perl to allocate a scalar of that size.
How to fix
This vulnerability affects an unusually large number of packages. The highest-confidence fixes are shown above; the full list is longer. Check the referenced advisories for complete coverage.
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Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Exploit Intelligence
Low risk: more likely to be exploited than 37% of all known CVEs.
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-789 vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2022-30522 | High | 7.5 | 90% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2026-49975 | High | 7.5 | 31% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2025-27533 | High | 7.5 | 8.6% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2017-7651 | High | 7.5 | 5.0% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2021-31811 | Medium | 5.5 | 3.4% | - | - |
| CVE-2021-27906 | Medium | 5.5 | 3.3% | - | Fix |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2026-9538?
Published advisories record a fix for 597 affected products. The "How to fix" section on this page lists the fixed version and source advisory for each one, so apply the entry matching what you actually run.
Is CVE-2026-9538 being actively exploited?
Not that we know of. CVE-2026-9538 is not in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Its EPSS score of 0.45% is the estimated probability that it will be exploited in the next 30 days. That is higher than 37% of all scored CVEs.
How severe is CVE-2026-9538?
CVE-2026-9538 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.5, rated important. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2026-9538 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for perl (Debian), perl (Rocky), perl (Red Hat / RHEL), perl-Algorithm-Diff (Red Hat / RHEL), and 593 more. Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-07-23.