---
id: "CVE-2026-74846"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-74846"]
title: "Catalyst Perl authentication plugin: password checks leak timing, enabling guesses"
severity: "unknown"
cvss: null
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["catalyst", "package", "perl", "web-apps"]
not_affected_if: ["no-legacy-login", "realm-based-verifier"]
published_at: "2026-11-03T08:17:15+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-11-03T08:19:30+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-11-03T08:19:41+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74846", "first_seen_at": "2026-11-03T08:19:30+00:00"}]
---

# Catalyst Perl authentication plugin: password checks leak timing, enabling guesses

The legacy password verifier in Catalyst::Plugin::Authentication compares passwords and hashes with eq, so response time reveals how many leading bytes match. A remote attacker can use those timing differences to guess a stored password or hash.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

- Check the installed version of Catalyst::Plugin::Authentication, for example with `perl -MCatalyst::Plugin::Authentication -e 'print $Catalyst::Plugin::Authentication::VERSION'`
- Look for calls to the deprecated `login` method in the application

## Fix

- Catalyst::Plugin::Authentication: move to `0.10029` or later

## Timeline

- 2026-11-03T08:19:30+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74846

## Documents

- [fix] Patch: github.com https://github.com/perl-catalyst/Catalyst-Plugin-Authentication/commit/ba4435f1fa6b641e6c8793c88b5433afa83ceafa.patch

## From the sources

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.

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_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_