CVE-2024-56406: Heap Overflow Vulnerability in Perl Threatens Denial of Service and Potential Code Execution

Perl, a versatile programming language widely used for various tasks like system administration and web development, has been found to contain a security vulnerability. A recently discovered heap buffer overflow, identified as CVE-2024-56406, affects Perl versions 5.34, 5.36, 5.38, and 5.40.

The vulnerability lies within the “tr” operator’s handling of non-ASCII bytes. Specifically, the S_do_trans_invmap() function can overflow the destination pointer “d” when non-ASCII characters are present on the left-hand side of the “tr” operator. This flaw can be triggered with a carefully crafted Perl command, potentially leading to a “segmentation fault” and system crash.

perl -e '$_ = "\x{FF}" x 1000000; tr/\xFF/\x{100}/;'

Security researchers believe that this heap buffer overflow could be exploited to carry out Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. In scenarios where systems lack robust defenses, there’s also a risk that attackers could leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code.

While exploitation for remote code execution has not yet been observed in the wild, the vulnerability could allow attackers to crash Perl-based applications or systems, making it a potent denial of service vector.

This is especially concerning for:

• Shared hosting environments
• Server-side Perl scripts handling untrusted input
• Legacy systems with weak memory protection models

The vulnerability was discovered by Nathan Mills. To mitigate this risk, it is strongly recommended that users take immediate action. The most effective solution is to update Perl to versions 5.40.2 or 5.38.4, which contain the necessary patches to address the vulnerability. Alternatively, users can apply the upstream patch directly.

Related Posts:

• Two flaws found in Perl programming language
• A Critical Security Vulnerability Patched Perl Programming Language
• Critical CVE-2024-45321 Flaw in Popular Perl Module Installer cpanminus, No Patch Available
• Linux Kernel Vulnerability Exposes Local Systems to Privilege Escalation, PoC Published
• Buffer Overflows Vulnerabilities: CISA & FBI Issue Urgent Warning