CVE-2025-40927

CGI::Simple · CGI::Simple

**A high-severity vulnerability exists in older versions of the CGI::Simple Perl module, which could be exploited by a remote attacker to cause a denial of service or other impacts.**.

Executive summary

A high-severity vulnerability exists in older versions of the CGI::Simple Perl module, which could be exploited by a remote attacker to cause a denial of service or other impacts.

Vulnerability

The description is minimal, but vulnerabilities in CGI handling modules often relate to improper parsing of HTTP requests, which can lead to resource exhaustion (denial of service), memory corruption, or potentially arbitrary code execution depending on the specific flaw.

Business impact

Rated High with a CVSS score of 7.3, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to make any web application using the vulnerable module unavailable. A successful denial-of-service attack can lead to business disruption, loss of revenue, and reputational damage. The impact could be more severe if the flaw allows for code execution.

Remediation

Immediate Action: Update the CGI::Simple module to the latest patched version available from the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN) or the system's package manager.

Proactive Monitoring: Monitor web server logs for malformed or unusually large CGI requests that result in errors or high resource consumption. Track server performance metrics (CPU, memory) for anomalies.

Compensating Controls: A Web Application Firewall (WAF) or a reverse proxy can be configured to limit request sizes and filter out malformed requests before they reach the vulnerable CGI application, mitigating DoS risks.

Exploitation status

Public Exploit Available: false

Analyst recommendation

This high-severity vulnerability in a common Perl module poses a significant risk to the availability and security of dependent web applications. System administrators and developers must identify all applications using CGI::Simple and update the module to a secure version immediately.