CVE-2026-13401 XML::Bare versions through 0.53 for Perl will hang in an infinite loop when parsing malformed attributes
An attacker can cause a denial of service by providing malformed XML attributes that trigger an infinite loop in the XML::Bare Perl library parser.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-13401?
CVE-2026-13401 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in CODECHILD XML::Bare, published on 16 Jul 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
XML::Bare versions through 0.53 for Perl will hang in an infinite loop when parsing malformed attributes.
The parserc_parse function never advances the attribute-parse state cursor on certain malformed attribute forms, looping forever.
Nameless attributes such as "<a ='c'>" or unbalanced quotes "<a b='''''''c'>" can trigger this condition.
Weakness: CWE-835
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-13401?
How do I fix CVE-2026-13401?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.
Is CVE-2026-13401 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-13401 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2026-13401, GHSA-8299-xh3w-xhx5, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-13401.