CVE-2004-0377: Buffer overflow in the win32_stat function for (1) ActiveState's ActivePerl and (2) Larry Wall's Perl before 5

Q: How do I fix CVE-2004-0377?

activeperl: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation; perl: upgrade to newer than 5.8.3. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2004-0377 being exploited?

CVE-2004-0377 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2004-0377 affect?

CVE-2004-0377 affects activeperl, perl. Severity is high (CVSS 10.0). Buffer overflow in the win32_stat function for (1) ActiveState's ActivePerl and (2) Larry Wall's Perl before 5.8.3 allows local or remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via filenames that end in a backslash character.

Q: How urgent is CVE-2004-0377?

Priority 58/100. Critical severity; EPSS top 6%: very likely to be exploited

This month

HIGH 10.0MITIGATEUPGRADE

CVE-2004-0377 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 10.0) affecting activeperl, perl. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Buffer overflow in the win32_stat function for (1) ActiveState's ActivePerl and (2) Larry Wall's Perl before 5.8.3 allows local or remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via filenames that end in a backslash character.

Why this priority

Critical severity
EPSS top 6%: very likely to be exploited

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	10.0 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	6.8% (top 6%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2004-05-04
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: activestate · larry wall

Last updated 2026-06-16 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2004-05-04 04:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:05 UTCUpdated Record last modified

activestate activeperl MITIGATE

Affected: all versions

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy activeperl || rpm -q activeperl || activeperl --version

No fixed or unaffected release known

Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory, disable the affected feature, or restrict network access.

larry wall perl UPGRADE

Affected: <= 5.8.3

Fixed in: newer than 5.8.3

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy perl || rpm -q perl || perl --version

2. UPGRADE to newer than 5.8.3 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade perl

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade perl

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2004-0377?

activeperl: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation; perl: upgrade to newer than 5.8.3. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2004-0377 being exploited?

CVE-2004-0377 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2004-0377 affect?

CVE-2004-0377 affects activeperl, perl. Severity is high (CVSS 10.0). Buffer overflow in the win32_stat function for (1) ActiveState's ActivePerl and (2) Larry Wall's Perl before 5.8.3 allows local or remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via filenames that end in a backslash character.

How urgent is CVE-2004-0377?

Priority 58/100. Critical severity; EPSS top 6%: very likely to be exploited

Software pages

Perl vulnerabilities

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References

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