# CVE-2026-116273: MIME::Parser versions before 5.521 for Perl set no limit on the number of message parts by default, allowing memory exhaustion.


- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 28 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 28 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-116273, GHSA-xrpv-r4cr-x2x4, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-116273

## What is CVE-2026-116273?

CVE-2026-116273 is a vulnerability, published on 28 Oct 2026. 

### Official description

MIME::Parser versions before 5.521 for Perl set no limit on the number of message parts by default, allowing memory exhaustion.

The max_parts option defaulted to -1, which disables the limit, so a parser created with default settings builds an entity for every part however many a message has.

Version 5.521 sets max_parts to 1000 and max_depth to 64 by default. Setting either to -1 still removes the limit.

Weakness: CWE-770 (Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling), CWE-1188 (Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-116273?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-116273?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-116273 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-116273 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-116273 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-116273 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-116273 is a vulnerability, published on 28 Oct 2026. 
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-116273 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-116273/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-116273/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-116273
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-116273
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-116273

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-116273/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.