CVE-2015-7686: Algorithmic complexity vulnerability in Address.pm in the Email-Address module 1.908 and earlier for Perl allo

Q: How do I fix CVE-2015-7686?

email-address: upgrade to newer than 1.908. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2015-7686 being exploited?

CVE-2015-7686 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-2015-7686 affect?

CVE-2015-7686 affects email-address. Severity is high (CVSS 7.8). Algorithmic complexity vulnerability in Address.pm in the Email-Address module 1.908 and earlier for Perl allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via a crafted string containing a list of e-mail addresses in c

This month

HIGH 7.8UPGRADE

CVE-2015-7686 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.8) affecting email-address. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Algorithmic complexity vulnerability in Address.pm in the Email-Address module 1.908 and earlier for Perl allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via a crafted string containing a list of e-mail addresses in conjunction with parenthesis characters that can be associated with nested comments. NOTE: the default configuration in 1.908 mitigates this vulnerability but misparses certain realistic comments.

Why this priority

High severity

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.8 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	3.5% (top 11%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-20, CWE-399
Published	2015-10-06
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: email-address project

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2015-10-06 01:59 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 00:32 UTCUpdated Record last modified

email-address project email-address UPGRADE

Affected: <= 1.908

Fixed in: newer than 1.908

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy email-address || rpm -q email-address || email-address --version

2. UPGRADE to newer than 1.908 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade email-address

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade email-address

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-2015-7686?

email-address: upgrade to newer than 1.908. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2015-7686 being exploited?

CVE-2015-7686 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-2015-7686 affect?

CVE-2015-7686 affects email-address. Severity is high (CVSS 7.8). Algorithmic complexity vulnerability in Address.pm in the Email-Address module 1.908 and earlier for Perl allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via a crafted string containing a list of e-mail addresses in c

How urgent is CVE-2015-7686?

Priority 50/100. High severity

Software pages

Perl vulnerabilities

References

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