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CVE-2026-9698: Perl Dbi Out of Bounds Write (CVSS 9.8)

CVE-2026-9698 is a critical severity out of bounds write in Perl Dbi with a CVSS score of 9.8. Apply the vendor fix and confirm exposure on internet facing and business critical assets first.

Last updated: Sep 3, 2026

Quick answer

Direct answer

CVE-2026-9698 is a critical severity out of bounds write in Perl Dbi with a CVSS score of 9.8. Apply the vendor fix and confirm exposure on internet facing and business critical assets first.

Risk scores

CVSS base score
9.8CRITICAL
EPSS probability
0.82%
Higher than 56 percent of all CVEs
CISA KEV
Not listed
CVSS metricWhat it means
Attack vector (AV:N)Network: reachable remotely
Attack complexity (AC:L)Low complexity
Privileges required (PR:N)No privileges required
User interaction (UI:N)No user interaction
Scope (S:U)Scope unchanged
Confidentiality (C:H)High confidentiality impact
Integrity (I:H)High integrity impact
Availability (A:H)High availability impact

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

About Perl Dbi

CVE-2026-9698 affects Perl Dbi, a product from Perl. Before acting, confirm where Perl Dbi runs in your estate, who owns it and whether it is reachable from the internet, because exposure decides real risk more than the score alone.

What the flaw is

In plain terms: DBI versions before 1.648 for Perl saved errors in a limited-sized buffer. Error messages that were returned when RaiseError, PrintError or HandleError were set were written to a 200-byte buffer without a length limit. Attackers that can influence the error text in an application can trigger a buffer overflow.

The weakness class is Out of Bounds Write. The program writes past the end of a buffer, a common path to code execution.

Based on its CVSS vector, the flaw can be reached over the network, needs no login, and needs no user interaction. Apply the vendor fix and confirm exposure on internet facing and business critical assets first.

Affected versions and timeline

FieldDetail
ProductPerl Dbi
Affected versionsDbi before 1.648
PublishedJun 9, 2026
Last modifiedSep 3, 2026
Added to CISA KEVNot listed
Assigning CNA9b29abf9-4ab0-4765-b253-1875cd9b441e

How to detect it

  • Inventory every instance of Perl Dbi and record the running version against the affected range above.
  • Check external attack surface scans for internet facing instances of the component.
  • Review logs on affected systems for unusual requests, errors or new processes around the vulnerable function.
  • Confirm with an authenticated vulnerability scan once your scanner has a check for this CVE.

How to fix it

  • Apply the fixed version of Perl Dbi named in the vendor advisory.
  • If patching must wait, restrict network access to the affected service and put it behind authentication or a web application firewall rule.
  • Rescan after the change to prove the exposure is gone, then close the ticket.

CTEM action plan

CTEM stageWhat to do for this CVE
ScopeAdd every business service that depends on Perl Dbi to the current CTEM cycle.
DiscoverFind all instances, including shadow and cloud deployments, and record versions and exposure.
PrioritizeRank using EPSS and CVSS together with asset exposure and business impact.
ValidateConfirm the flaw is reachable and exploitable in your environment and that compensating controls work.
MobilizeAssign the fix to the asset owner with a due date matched to the priority, then verify closure.

CWE References

Technical References

Frequently asked questions

CVE-2026-9698 is a critical severity out of bounds write in Perl Dbi with a CVSS score of 9.8. Apply the vendor fix and confirm exposure on internet facing and business critical assets first.

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