Catalyst::Seal before 0.03 allows cross-request authorization bypass
CVE-2026-85491 in Catalyst::Seal before 0.03 lets one request bypass authorization on a later request; a follow-up only corrected a bad VCS citation.
On 24 September 2026, Robert Rothenberg disclosed CVE-2026-85491 on oss-security for the Perl module Catalyst::Seal, versions before 0.03. Because a dispatch memo is keyed on the request path alone, one request can disable a path or send a later request past an authorization check. The original post points to the MetaCPAN distribution and does not report exploitation. About 35 minutes later, Rothenberg corrected the advisory: the version-control repository cited earlier was incorrect due to bad module metadata. That note does not change the vulnerability description or affected versions, and the reports give no replacement repository URL. The posts do not disagree on the security impact.
- CVE-2026-85491 affects the Perl module Catalyst::Seal in versions before 0.03.
- Robert Rothenberg disclosed it on oss-security at 2026-09-24T22:23:50Z.
- A dispatch memo keyed only on the request path lets one request disable a path or route a later request past an authorization check.
- The post references the MetaCPAN distribution and does not say the flaw is being exploited.
- At 2026-09-24T22:58:34Z Rothenberg said the cited VCS repository was wrong because of bad module metadata.
- The follow-up adds no new impact, exploitation detail, fix, or replacement repository URL.
Coverage timelineoldest first · each row is one article
- · 2d agoCVE-2026-85491: Catalyst::Seal versions before 0.03 for Perl allow one request to disable a path or route a later one past an authorization check via a dispatch memo keyed on the request path alone
oss-security· 52
Catalyst::Seal before 0.03 can let one request bypass authorization on a later request (CVE-2026-85491).
- · 2d agoRe: CVE-2026-85491: Catalyst::Seal versions before 0.03 for Perl allow one request to disable a path or route a later one past an authorization check via a dispatch memo keyed on the request path alone
A follow-up corrects the VCS repository cited for Catalyst::Seal CVE-2026-85491, citing bad module metadata.
Vulnerabilities in this storyAll →
- CVE-2026-854918.8—Catalyst::Seal versions before 0.03 for Perl allow one request to disable a path or route a later one past an authorization check via a dispatch memo keyed on…published
| CVE | Vulnerability | CVSS | EPSS | Flags | Affected | Exposure | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2026-85491 | Catalyst::Seal versions before 0.03 for Perl allow one request to disable a path or route a later one past an authorization check via a dispatch memo keyed on… Catalyst::Seal versions before 0.03 for Perl allow one request to disable a path or route a later one past an authorization check via a dispatch memo keyed on the request path alone. Catalyst::Seal replaces the dispatcher's prepare_action with a version that memoises how a path resolved: which dispatch type matched, at which level, and what was left over as arguments. The key is the request path and nothing else. Action roles that match on the method, content type, scheme or query make that resolution depend on state the key does not carry, so the memo answers for a request it was not built from. A path that resolves to no action is memoised as well, and replaying that entry returns without consulting any dispatch type, so no action is set and the request fails. A GET of a path whose action is declared POST-only therefore disables that path for every later request, the correct POST included. An entry that did resolve replays the level the earlier descent reached. Where a POST-only action sits below a shallower action on the same path, a GET memoises the shallow route, and a later POST is dispatched there with an auto() guarding the deeper controller never running. The memo is cleared only when an action is registered, which happens at setup, so an entry lasts for the life of the process, and its cap of 2048 entries bounds how many paths one caller can disable. In the configuration measured, the misroute lands on the less privileged action, so it is an authorization check not running rather than a privilege gain. |