Review reviewHigh

CVE-2026-8829

OALDERS HTML::Entities, html::entities

HTML::Entities versions before 3.84 for Perl read freed heap memory in _decode_entities. The XS routine backing HTML::Entities::_decode_entities cached a pointer (repl) into the entity-value SV returned by hv_fetch on the entity2char hash. When the input SV was identical to a value SV in that hash, and that value contained its own key as an entity reference, a later call to grow_gap() reallocated the SV's PV buffer and freed the backing allocation that repl still pointed into. The subsequent copy loop read repl_len bytes from the freed allocation. The read may disclose adjacent heap content...

CVSS
7.5
EPSS
0.31%
23.0% percentile
CISA KEV
Not listed
Published
2026.06.04
PRIORITY ASSESSMENT

Review review

The CVSS severity warrants an early asset and exposure review.

Known exploitationNot established by KEV
Exploit probability0.31%
Technical severityCVSS 7.5

Vulnerability overview

HTML::Entities versions before 3.84 for Perl read freed heap memory in _decode_entities. The XS routine backing HTML::Entities::_decode_entities cached a pointer (repl) into the entity-value SV returned by hv_fetch on the entity2char hash. When the input SV was identical to a value SV in that hash, and that value contained its own key as an entity reference, a later call to grow_gap() reallocated the SV's PV buffer and freed the backing allocation that repl still pointed into. The subsequent copy loop read repl_len bytes from the freed allocation. The read may disclose adjacent heap content...

Affected product and versions

Product
OALDERS HTML::Entities, html::entities
Affected versions
< 3.84
Fixed versions
3.84

Recommended response sequence

Confirm exposure before applying a vendor-supported change.

Full remediation guide
  1. 1
    Identify

    Confirm that OALDERS HTML::Entities, html::entities and an affected version are present.

  2. 2
    Prioritize

    Combine exploitation signals with asset exposure and business criticality.

  3. 3
    Remediate

    Follow the vendor advisory or supported update path and preserve rollback options.

  4. 4
    Verify

    Recheck the version, service health, access paths, and relevant logs.

Technical data

CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CWE
CWE-416