Amazon Linux 2023 : perl-Cpanel-JSON-XS (ALAS2023-2026-3352)

critical Nessus Plugin ID 374390

Synopsis

The remote Amazon Linux 2023 host is missing a security update.

Description

It is, therefore, affected by multiple vulnerabilities as referenced in the ALAS2023-2026-3352 advisory.

Cpanel::JSON::XS versions before 4.80 for Perl leak the decoded key of an object rejected for a duplicate key or a missing colon in decode_hv.

A quoted key of 24 or more bytes, or one containing a non-ASCII byte or an escape sequence, is decoded into a new scalar. Nothing frees that scalar when the object is rejected for a missing ':' after the key or, from 4.09, for a duplicate key. Duplicate keys are an error unless allow_dupkeys, dupkeys_as_arrayref or relaxed is set.

A process that keeps running after a failed decode retains one key per rejected document, with its size chosen by the sender. Repeated requests exhaust process memory. (CVE-2026-110672)

Cpanel::JSON::XS versions before 4.80 for Perl allow stack exhaustion via nested tagged values under allow_tags in decode_tag.

With allow_tags, ( starts a tagged value. Its tag and value are decoded recursively, and each can start another tagged value. Unlike arrays and objects, this nesting is not counted against max_depth.

A run of ( bytes exhausts the C stack and triggers an uncatchable segmentation fault regardless of max_depth. (CVE-2026-110673)

Cpanel::JSON::XS versions before 4.80 for Perl allow memory exhaustion by encoding exponent notation as full decimal digits under allow_bignum.

With allow_bignum, a JSON number with a fraction or exponent decodes to a Math::BigFloat, which stores the exponent separately and so decodes cheaply. Encoding it untyped or as JSON_TYPE_FLOAT writes the plain decimal form with one digit per unit of exponent. Nothing bounds the exponent, so the 12-byte text [1e30000000] encodes to 30 MB.

Untrusted JSON decoded with allow_bignum and encoded again can exhaust memory and CPU. (CVE-2026-110676)

Cpanel::JSON::XS versions before 4.80 for Perl allow memory exhaustion by buffering incremental input past max_size in incr_parse.

The parser appends each chunk to its buffer. In scalar or list context, it compares max_size with how far it has progressed, not with the buffer length. A chunk that starts with a NUL byte stops the parser before it progresses, and a call in void context skips the check, so the buffer grows without limit.

A peer streaming data to an incr_parse consumer can exhaust process memory regardless of max_size.
(CVE-2026-110678)

Cpanel::JSON::XS versions from 4.20 before 4.80 for Perl write out of bounds when a tied or shared hash grows during canonical encoding in encode_hv.

With canonical, the keys of a tied or threads::shared hash are counted before a second pass collects them for sorting. The encoder uses a fixed 64-entry stack array or, for larger counts, a heap array sized from the first pass. If the second pass exceeds that capacity, entries are written out of bounds before the counts are compared.

This corrupts stack or heap memory and can crash the process. (CVE-2026-110680)

Cpanel::JSON::XS versions before 4.80 for Perl use the parent interpreter's scalars from a parser object cloned into a new ithread.

A parser object holds its callbacks and its incremental parse buffer as raw scalar pointers. When a thread is created, these are copied into the new interpreter unchanged, so the child's parser uses, and later frees, scalars that belong to the parent and may already have been freed there.

A parser created before a thread starts and used inside it can call freed callbacks, corrupt reference counts and crash the process. (CVE-2026-110681)

Cpanel::JSON::XS versions from 3.0202 before 4.80 for Perl leak memory and retain overloaded objects when encoding values as strings in encode_stringify.

encode_stringify writes a value in its string form under allow_stringify, under convert_blessed for objects without TO_JSON, and under allow_bignum. For an array or hash object with a overload, and from 4.20 a scalar object, it takes an extra reference that is never released, so the object and everything it references are never freed. From 4.10 it also never frees its copy of the string.

Repeatedly encoding data that contains such values grows process memory without bound. (CVE-2026-110684)

Cpanel::JSON::XS versions before 4.80 for Perl leak the decoded arguments of a tagged value when its THAW method dies in decode_tag.

With allow_tags, a tagged value's class name and argument array are decoded and passed to the class's THAW method. Both are released only after THAW returns, so a THAW that dies leaves the whole decoded argument structure allocated.

Each rejected document leaks data of a size the sender chooses, so a process that catches the error and keeps running exhausts its memory. (CVE-2026-110685)

Cpanel::JSON::XS versions before 4.80 for Perl use freed filter callbacks when a filter removes itself during decoding in decode_hv.

A decode copies the parser's filter_json_object and filter_json_single_key_object callbacks without taking references to them. A filter callback that removes the last single-key filter frees the callback table while the decode in progress still uses it. The next object is dispatched through freed memory and can crash the process. (CVE-2026-110686)

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the tested product security advisory.

Note that Nessus has not tested for these issues but has instead relied only on the application's self-reported version number.

Solution

Run 'dnf update perl-Cpanel-JSON-XS --releasever 2023.12.20261102' or or 'dnf update --advisory ALAS2023-2026-3352 --releasever 2023.12.20261102' to update your system.

Plugin Details

Severity: Critical

ID: 374390

File Name: al2023_ALAS2023-2026-3352.nasl

Version: 1.1

Type: Local

Agent: unix

Family: Amazon Linux Local Security Checks

Published: 10/30/2026

Updated: 10/30/2026

Supported Sensors: Frictionless Assessment AWS, Frictionless Assessment Agent, Nessus Agent, Agentless Assessment, Continuous Assessment, Tenable Cloud Security, Tenable Self-Hosted Container Security, Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Medium

Score: 5.8

Percentile: 95.86

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: High

Base Score: 9.4

Temporal Score: 7

Vector: CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:N/A:C

CVSS Score Source: CVE-2026-110685

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: Critical

Base Score: 9.1

Temporal Score: 7.9

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H

Temporal Vector: CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:O/RC:C

Vulnerability Information

CPE: cpe:/o:amazon:linux:2023, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:perl-cpanel-json-xs-debuginfo, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:perl-cpanel-json-xs-debugsource, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:perl-cpanel-json-xs

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/AmazonLinux/release, Host/AmazonLinux/rpm-list

Exploit Ease: No known exploits are available

Patch Publication Date: 10/30/2026

Vulnerability Publication Date: 10/15/2026

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2026-110672, CVE-2026-110673, CVE-2026-110676, CVE-2026-110678, CVE-2026-110680, CVE-2026-110681, CVE-2026-110684, CVE-2026-110685, CVE-2026-110686

Detections

Analytics