# CVE-2026-116285: HTTP::Body versions before 1.23_01 for Perl allow CPU exhaustion via quadratic regex backtracking when parsing chunked request bodies

Status: published. Published: 2026-10-28. Updated: 2026-11-05.

HTTP::Body versions before 1.23_01 for Perl allow CPU exhaustion via quadratic regex backtracking when parsing chunked request bodies.

In chunked mode, used when no content length is given, add() matches each chunk-size line with `/^([\da-fA-F]+).*\x0D\x0A/`. On a line of hex digits whose first LF has no CR before it, the digits and `.*` backtrack against each other, so a single add() takes time quadratic in the line's length. Nothing limits how long the line can be.

A remote attacker can exhaust CPU in applications that pass chunked request bodies to HTTP::Body.

## Remediation

- fix: Upgrade to HTTP-Body 1.23_01 or later. (source: CNA: CPANSec)
- fix: The reporting source identifies this reference as a patch. Check the advisory for affected versions and supported release branches. (source: CNA: CPANSec) — https://github.com/libwww-perl/HTTP-Body/commit/954a5343d2a095b59d357f28759c5388d1169574.patch

## Affected products and versions

-  /  (HTTP-Body): ≥ 0; < 1.23_01 (affected, custom). Source: CNA: CPANSec

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 7.5 (high); CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H; source: ADP: CISA-ADP

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.29% as of 2026-11-05; percentile 21.52%

- SSVC: exploitation none; automatable yes; technical impact partial; source ADP: CISA-ADP

- Weaknesses: CWE-1333

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://github.com/libwww-perl/HTTP-Body/commit/954a5343d2a095b59d357f28759c5388d1169574.patch (CNA: CPANSec; patch)

- https://metacpan.org/release/GETTY/HTTP-Body-1.24/changes (CNA: CPANSec; release-notes)

## Provenance

- CNA: CPANSec: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-116285; retrieved 2026-11-05; source updated 2026-11-05

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-116285; retrieved 2026-11-05; source updated Not reported

Revision: 3c85cdc4ed27577f9cce2f0094af0a45d9b8f63966e94504ebcc88e5462119a6

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-116285

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