# CVE-2026-118986: CallBackery Perl session cookie forgery via weak random secret

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-118986-callbackery-versions-before-0-62-0-for-perl-allow-session-cookie  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-30. Updated: 2026-10-30  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-118986 · Severity: info · Published 2026-10-30

CallBackery is a Perl-based configuration management application. Versions before 0.62.0 sign session cookies using a cryptographic secret generated from only 32 bits of randomness, making it possible for an attacker to forge administrative session cookies after obtaining a single legitimate cookie. This allows unauthorized account takeover including administrator access.

Technologies: [OETIKER CallBackery](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/callbackery). Vendors: [OETIKER](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/oetiker).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-118986 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-118986 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-118986?** Informational severity, published 30 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** OETIKER CallBackery before 0.62.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-118986?** Yes: fixed in 0.62.0. Until then: Existing weak secrets are invalidated and replaced on startup with secure random bytes, which logs out all users once. Administrators should ensure any leftover insecure .secret files are regenerated before redeploying. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-118986 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-118986?** Check whether you run OETIKER CallBackery at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- Fixed in 0.62.0

Existing weak secrets are invalidated and replaced on startup with secure random bytes, which logs out all users once. Administrators should ensure any leftover insecure .secret files are regenerated before redeploying.

## Technical details

The vulnerability exists in the session cookie signing mechanism, which derives its secret from two calls to Perl's rand() function seeded with only 32 bits of entropy, resulting in approximately 2^32 possible secrets. An attacker who obtains one signed session cookie can perform an offline brute-force attack to recover the secret and then sign cookies for any user. The fix in version 0.62.0 replaces the weak generator with 32 random bytes and invalidates existing secrets by logging out all users on startup.

## Affected products

- OETIKER CallBackery before 0.62.0

## Timeline

- 2026-10-30: disclosed
- 2026-10-29: patched

## References

- [https://cpan.org/modules](https://cpan.org/modules)
- [https://metacpan.org/release/OETIKER/CallBackery-0.62.0/changes](https://metacpan.org/release/OETIKER/CallBackery-0.62.0/changes)

## Related threats

- [CallBackery session cookie age validation bypass in X-Session-Cookie header](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-118987-callbackery-versions-before-0-62-0-for-perl-accept-session)
- [CallBackery unsalted HMAC-SHA1 password hashing](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-13576-callbackery-versions-before-0-62-0-for-perl-store-user-passwords)
- [CallBackery regex pattern validation bypass in form fields](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-118995-callbackery-versions-before-0-62-0-for-perl-accept-unintended)
- [CallBackery log injection via newlines in login name](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-118994-callbackery-versions-before-0-62-0-for-perl-allow-log-injection)
- [CallBackery denial of service via regex backtracking in request path](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-118993-callbackery-versions-before-0-62-0-for-perl-allow-denial-of)