# CVE-2026-82560: Perl Pod::Text denial of service via pathological =over nesting

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-82560-pod-text-versions-before-6-1-1-for-perl-allow-cpu-and-memory  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-09-19. Updated: 2026-09-26  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-82560 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.5 · Published 2026-09-19

Pod::Text is a Perl module that converts POD (Plain Old Documentation) format into plain text. An attacker can craft a malicious POD document with deeply nested =over directives that causes the formatter to hang indefinitely and consume all available memory, preventing legitimate use of systems that process untrusted documentation.

Vendors: [Perl](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/perl).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-82560 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-82560 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-82560?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.5, published 19 September 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Perl Pod::Text before 6.1.1.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-82560?** A patch was published on 2026-08-29. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-82560 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-82560?** Check whether you run Perl Pod::Text 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.

## Technical details

The vulnerability exists in the wrap() method where deeply nested =over directives cause the margin to equal or exceed the output width, creating a pathological condition where the line-splitting regex matches an empty string on every pass. This causes an infinite loop that appends margin padding to the output, exhausting memory and CPU resources. The fix adds a validation check to detect when margin width exceeds output width and forces the margin to zero, preventing the infinite loop.

## Affected products

- Perl Pod::Text before 6.1.1

## Timeline

- 2026-09-19: disclosed
- 2026-08-29: patched

## References

- [https://cpan.org/modules](https://cpan.org/modules)
- [https://github.com/rra/podlators/commit/70510174f69eb54aa6d617bde4e1402cd9b7c61f.patch](https://github.com/rra/podlators/commit/70510174f69eb54aa6d617bde4e1402cd9b7c61f.patch)