---
id: CVE-2026-74846
title: >-
  Catalyst::Plugin::Authentication versions before 0.10029 for Perl allow timing
  attacks on stored passwords via eq comparisons in the legacy password verifier
summary: >-
  Catalyst::Plugin::Authentication versions before 0.10029 for Perl allow timing
  attacks on stored passwords via eq comparisons in the legacy password
  verifier.


  CVE-2026-5091 was fixed in the realm-based verifier. The legacy verifier, use…
severity: high
cvss: 7.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N'
cvssSource: adp
cwe:
  - CWE-208
product: Catalyst-Plugin-Authentication
affected:
  - Catalyst-Plugin-Authentication < 0.10029
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'yes'
  technicalImpact: partial
  timestamp: '2026-11-06T18:42:32.907151Z'
published: '2026-11-03'
updated: '2026-11-06'
sourceUpdated: '2026-11-06T18:42:56.084Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-74846'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://metacpan.org/release/ETHER/Catalyst-Plugin-Authentication-0.10029/changes
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/perl-catalyst/Catalyst-Plugin-Authentication/commit/ba4435f1fa6b641e6c8793c88b5433afa83ceafa.patch
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-5091'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00405
epssPercentile: 0.35028
ingestedAt: '2026-11-05T19:30:42.931Z'
---

## Overview

Catalyst::Plugin::Authentication versions before 0.10029 for Perl allow timing attacks on stored passwords via eq comparisons in the legacy password verifier.

CVE-2026-5091 was fixed in the realm-based verifier. The legacy verifier, used by the deprecated login method, compares clear-text passwords, crypt hashes and base64 digests with eq, so the comparison time depends on how many leading bytes match.

A remote attacker can use response-time differences to guess the stored password or hash.

## Affected

- `Catalyst-Plugin-Authentication < 0.10029`

## Remediation

Upgrade to Catalyst-Plugin-Authentication 0.10029 or later.