Description
CGI::Session::ID::md5 versions before 4.49 for Perl generate predictable session ids from low-entropy sources.
The generate_id method builds the session id from a MD5 digest of the process id, the epoch time, and the built-in rand() function. All three are predictable, low-entropy sources: the PID is drawn from a small range, the epoch time can be guessed or read from the HTTP Date header, and Perl's rand() is unsuitable for security purposes because it is predictable and reversible.
An attacker who predicts a session id can impersonate the corresponding session and bypass authentication.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARKSTOS | CGI::Session::ID::md5 | < 4.49 | 4.49 |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | libcgi-session-perl | 4.49-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | libcgi-session-perl | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 12 | libcgi-session-perl | No fix yet | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.10 | libcgi-session-perl | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | libcgi-session-perl | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 25.10 | libcgi-session-perl | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | libcgi-session-perl | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | libcgi-session-perl | No fix yet | — |
Show 3 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | libcgi-session-perl | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | libcgi-session-perl | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | libcgi-session-perl | No fix yet | — |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | perl-CGI-Session | 4.490.0-1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2026:11168-1 |
Alpine
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.24 | perl-cgi-session | 4.49-r0 | — |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2 | perl-CGI-Session | 4.35-16.amzn2.0.1 | ALAS2-2026-3805 |
Advisories 2
- ALAS2-2026-3805 Important: perl-CGI-Session security update (Amazon Linux 2) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Jul 20, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2026:11168-1 perl-CGI-Session-4.490.0-1.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Jul 2, 2026