CVE-2026-9516: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-32gp-2g42-v9vc
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-755
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-9516 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-755: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product does not handle or incorrectly handles an exceptional condition.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-9516 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-9516
GHSA Identifier GHSA-32gp-2g42-v9vc
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-755: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2026-9516

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Software dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-9516, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Software in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-755: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions, where the product does not handle or incorrectly handles an exceptional condition. In Software, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Cpanel::JSON::XS versions before 4.41 for Perl allow denial of service via UTF-8 BOM prefixed input when a decode filter callback throws. To skip a leading 3-byte UTF-8 BOM, decode_json() advances the input scalar's string pointer past the mark with SvPV_set() and restores it only on the normal return path. When decoding aborts through a Perl exception, for example a filter_json_object callback that croaks, the restore is skipped and the scalar is left with its string pointer offset into its own buffer and a shortened length. When that scalar is later freed, the allocator receives an invalid pointer and the interpreter aborts. A single BOM prefixed document decoded with a throwing filter callback crashes any caller.

References

NVD — CVE-2026-9516 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-9516
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/rurban/Cpanel-JSON-XS/commit/dfe1b41a36caba51dc12a2917fe50285d1ffaa7b.patch
metacpan.org/release/rurban/cpan... WEB
https://metacpan.org/release/RURBAN/Cpanel-JSON-XS-4.41/changes
Software Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/06/03/5

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-9516?
CVE-2026-9516 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-755: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2026-9516?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-9516?
CVE-2026-9516 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-9516?
CVE-2026-9516 is classified under CWE-755: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions (The product does not handle or incorrectly handles an exceptional condition.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-9516?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-32gp-2g42-v9vc",
  "modified" : "2026-06-03T18:33:09Z",
  "published" : "2026-06-03T03:30:24Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-9516" ],
  "details" : "Cpanel::JSON::XS versions before 4.41 for Perl allow denial of service via UTF-8 BOM prefixed input when a decode filter callback throws.\n\nTo skip a leading 3-byte UTF-8 BOM, decode_json() advances the input scalar's string pointer past the mark with SvPV_set() and restores it only on the normal return path. When decoding aborts through a Perl exception, for example a filter_json_object callback that croaks, the restore is skipped and the scalar is left with its string pointer offset into its own buffer and a shortened length.\n\nWhen that scalar is later freed, the allocator receives an invalid pointer and the interpreter aborts. A single BOM prefixed document decoded with a throwing filter callback crashes any caller.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-9516"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rurban/Cpanel-JSON-XS/commit/dfe1b41a36caba51dc12a2917fe50285d1ffaa7b.patch"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://metacpan.org/release/RURBAN/Cpanel-JSON-XS-4.41/changes"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/06/03/5"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-755" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-06-03T01:16:23Z"
  }
}