# CVE-2026-85644: XS::Parse::Infix versions from 0.40 through 0.49 for Perl treat a number as an array reference

> Attacker-controlled numeric input in Perl infix operations triggers memory corruption, potentially allowing code execution or crashes.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 28 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 30 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-85644, GHSA-ch9g-92vf-wwhv, MGASA-2026-0513, SUSE-SU-2026:24244-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-85644, USN-8940-1, openSUSE-SU-2026:11863-1, openSUSE-SU-2026:22101-1

## What is CVE-2026-85644?

CVE-2026-85644 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in perl-XS-Parse-Keyword, published on 28 Sep 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

XS::Parse::Infix versions from 0.40 through 0.49 for Perl treat a number as an array reference.

The wrapper function XS::Parse::Infix generates for a list-associative infix operator checks whether arguments are array references, but it tests using SvRV() rather than SvROK(). SvRV() reads a union slot that only holds a referent once SvROK(sv) is true, so the guard never validates that it is a reference. For an IV or NV that slot holds the number itself, SvRV() returns the caller's value and SvTYPE() dereferences it at offset 12. This will generally result in a segmentation fault.

An application that hands the wrapper a list built from decoded input (for example, from JSON) lets whoever supplies a number in that list choose the address that the interpreter dereferences.

An ordinary string's byte 12 is rarely SVt_PVAV so the guard croaks by luck, but an attacker-crafted string carrying 0x0b there passes, and the buffer is then used as an AV head, with AvARRAY taken from bytes 16-23 and its entries pushed onto the Perl stack as live SVs.

A simple proof-of-concept uses the zip operator:

    use Syntax::Operator::Zip 'zip';

    my @args = ([1], 2);
    zip(@args);

Weakness: CWE-843 (Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type), CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-85644?


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `perl-XS-Parse-Keyword` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 16.0 | All versions | 0.480.0-160000.3.1 |
| `perl-XS-Parse-Keyword` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP applications 16.0 | All versions | 0.480.0-160000.3.1 |
| `perl-XS-Parse-Keyword` | openSUSE:Leap 16.0 | All versions | 0.480.0-160000.3.1 |
| `perl-XS-Parse-Keyword` | openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 0.500.0-1.1 |

## How do I fix CVE-2026-85644?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2026-85644 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-85644 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-85644 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-85644 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in perl-XS-Parse-Keyword, published on 28 Sep 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-85644 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: perl-XS-Parse-Keyword. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

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-2026-85644/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-85644/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-85644
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-85644
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-85644

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-85644/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.