CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-40198NVD status: Analyzed

Net::CIDR::Lite: Improper Validation of Syntactic Correctness of Input

CVE-2026-40198 is a high-severity improper validation of syntactic correctness of input vulnerability in Net::CIDR::Lite from Stigtsp, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists version 0.23 as the first without the flaw, so updating Net::CIDR::Lite to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.32% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update Net::CIDR::Lite to 0.23 or a later version.
  2. Update Net to 0.23 or a later version.
  3. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
STIGTSPNet::CIDR::Litebefore 0.230.23
StigtspNetbefore 0.230.23

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
NoneNo data is disclosed.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
NoneAvailability is not affected.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N. Scored by CISA (ADP).

Official description

Net::CIDR::Lite versions before 0.23 for Perl does not validate IPv6 group count, which may allow IP ACL bypass. _pack_ipv6() does not check that uncompressed IPv6 addresses (without ::) have exactly 8 hex groups. Inputs like "abcd", "1:2:3", or "1:2:3:4:5:6:7" are accepted and produce packed values of wrong length (3, 7, or 15 bytes instead of 17). The packed values are used internally for mask and comparison operations. find() and bin_find() use Perl string comparison (lt/gt) on these values, and comparing strings of different lengths gives wrong results. This can cause find() to incorrectly report an address as inside or outside a range. Example: my $cidr = Net::CIDR::Lite->new("::/8"); $cidr->find("1:2:3"); # invalid input, incorrectly returns true This is the same class of input validation issue as CVE-2021-47154 (IPv4 leading zeros) previously fixed in this module. See also CVE-2026-40199, a related issue in the same function affecting IPv4 mapped IPv6 addresses.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Validation of Syntactic Correctness of Input

The product receives input that is expected to be well-formed - i.e., to comply with a certain syntax - but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input complies with the syntax.

More Improper Validation of Syntactic Correctness of Input vulnerabilities (CWE-1286)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Third-party and government advisories

Recent Improper Validation of Syntactic Correctness of Input vulnerabilities

Spotted an error? Tell us.