5.9

CVE-2025-40909: perl Untrusted Search Path

CVSS: 5.9v3.1MediumDeferred
AliasesSUSE-SU-2025:02027-1SUSE-SU-2025:02051-1SUSE-SU-2025:20456-1
Published 30-05-2025Last modified 18-04-2026

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2025-40909 is a medium (CVSS 5.9) Untrusted Search Path vulnerability in perl. EPSS estimates a 0.50% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 42.1% of scored vulnerabilities. 1 public exploit is recorded.

Overall risk
34/100
0100
Medium · default modelHow is this calculated?
CVSS score
5.9/10
010
Medium · v3.1 (CVE.org)
EPSS score
0.50%
0%100%
Low · 0.00 pp in 30 days
KEVNot listedIn no KEV catalog
RansomwareNone recordedNo known use recorded
Public exploits1reference

Advisory lineage

Upstream 0 · Downstream 3 · Related 2

Timeline

  1. 30-05-2025
    PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
  2. 18-04-2026
    Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

Perl threads have a working directory race condition where file operations may target unintended paths. If a directory handle is open at thread creation, the process-wide current working directory is temporarily changed in order to clone that handle for the new thread, which is visible from any third (or more) thread already running. This may lead to unintended operations such as loading code or accessing files from unexpected locations, which a local attacker may be able to exploit. The bug was introduced in commit 11a11ecf4bea72b17d250cfb43c897be1341861e and released in Perl version 5.13.6

CVSS metrics

7 scores · 7 sources · 1 version

EPSS trend

Probability

0.50%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Percentile

42%

Versus all other CVEs

30-day change

0.00 pp

From 0.50% on 21-09-2026

21-09-202621-10-2026
EPSS score
0.50%

Known exploited

Compare KEV catalogs

Not in any of the 3 tracked catalogs.

Public exploits

1 found
  • referenceUnverified

    Exploit Reference (openwall.com)

    Maturity: unknown

Weaknesses

CWE · root cause

Affected systems

Redhat193 products
  • perl< 4:5.32.1-481.el9_4.1 | < 4:5.32.1-481.1.el9_6 | < 4:5.26.3-423.el8_10 | < 4:5.40.2-512.2.el10_0 | < 4:5.32.1-471.module+el8.6.0+24484+7827d5b5.1 | < 4:5.32.1-474.module+el8.10.0+24099+8aa2f756
  • perl-Algorithm-Diff< 0:1.1903-10.module+el8.6.0+13324+628a2397 | < 0:1.1903-10.module+el8.10.0+21354+3ad137bb
  • perl-Archive-Tar< 0:2.38-3.module+el8.6.0+13324+628a2397 | < 0:2.38-3.module+el8.10.0+21354+3ad137bb
  • perl-Archive-Zip< 0:1.68-3.module+el8.6.0+13324+628a2397 | < 0:1.68-3.module+el8.10.0+21354+3ad137bb
  • perl-Attribute-Handlers< 0:1.01-481.el9_4.1 | < 0:1.01-481.1.el9_6 | < 0:0.99-423.el8_10 | < 0:1.03-512.2.el10_0 | < 0:1.01-471.module+el8.6.0+24484+7827d5b5.1 | < 0:1.01-474.module+el8.10.0+24099+8aa2f756
Opensuse2 products
  • perl&distro=openSUSE Leap 15.6< 5.26.1-150300.17.20.1
  • perl&distro=openSUSE Tumbleweed< 5.40.2-3.1
Chainguard1 product
  • perl< 5.40.2-r1
Debian1 product
  • perl< 5.36.0-7+deb12u3 | < 5.40.1-5
Perl1 product
  • perl≥ 5.13.6, < 5.41.13
Ubuntu1 product
  • perlAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.34.0-3ubuntu1.5 | < 5.38.2-3.2ubuntu0.2
Wolfi1 product
  • perl< 5.40.2-r1

7 vendors · 200 products · Showing 200 of 318. Use Open JSON for the complete list.

References

47 links
Show all 47 references