# CVE-2026-74846: Catalyst::Plugin::Authentication versions before 0.10029 for Perl allow timing attacks on stored passwords via eq comparisons in the legacy password verifier

Status: published. Published: 2026-11-03. Updated: 2026-11-03.

Catalyst::Plugin::Authentication versions before 0.10029 for Perl allow timing attacks on stored passwords via eq comparisons in the legacy password verifier.

CVE-2026-5091 was fixed in the realm-based verifier. The legacy verifier, used by the deprecated login method, compares clear-text passwords, crypt hashes and base64 digests with eq, so the comparison time depends on how many leading bytes match.

A remote attacker can use response-time differences to guess the stored password or hash.

## Remediation

- fix: Upgrade to Catalyst-Plugin-Authentication 0.10029 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/perl-catalyst/Catalyst-Plugin-Authentication/commit/ba4435f1fa6b641e6c8793c88b5433afa83ceafa.patch

## Affected products and versions

-  /  (Catalyst-Plugin-Authentication): ≥ 0; < 0.10029 (affected, custom). Source: CNA: CPANSec

## Severity and prioritization

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: Not available

- SSVC: Not available

- Weaknesses: CWE-208

## Exploit evidence

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

## References

- https://metacpan.org/release/ETHER/Catalyst-Plugin-Authentication-0.10029/changes (CNA: CPANSec; release-notes)

- https://github.com/perl-catalyst/Catalyst-Plugin-Authentication/commit/ba4435f1fa6b641e6c8793c88b5433afa83ceafa.patch (CNA: CPANSec; patch)

- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-5091 (CNA: CPANSec)

## Provenance

- CNA: CPANSec: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-74846; retrieved 2026-11-03; source updated 2026-11-03

Revision: 6a438e6e7c6187c3fee1e2385f22aeecb967f817f79f1da581a4dbc7e3617eb2

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-74846

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