Security assessments indicate that CVE-2026-8463 presents a notable risk, potentially requiring prompt mitigation.
Status: Analyzed
Published on: 13 May 2026, 14:18 UTC
CVSS Release: version 3
nvd@nist.gov
Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
CVE-2026-8463: Crypt::Argon2 versions from 0.017 before 0.031 for Perl perform a heap out-of-bounds read in argon2_verify on empty encoded input. The auto-detect form of argon2_verify passes encoded_len - 1 as the length argument to memchr without checking that encoded_len is non-zero. When the encoded string is empty, the size_t subtraction underflows to SIZE_MAX and memchr scans adjacent heap memory looking for a '$' separator byte. A caller that invokes argon2_verify against a stored hash that may legitimately be empty (for example a placeholder row or a NULL column materialised as an empty string) reads out-of-bounds heap memory, which can crash the process or leak the position of an adjacent '$' byte into subsequent parsing.
The exploitability of CVE-2026-8463 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
With low attack complexity and no required privileges, CVE-2026-8463 is an easy target for cybercriminals. Organizations should prioritize immediate mitigation measures to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2026-8463, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2026-8463, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
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