High severity · published Aug 3, 2026
CVE-2026-18568
XML::Sig versions from 0.29 before 0.72 for Perl allow signature verification bypass because verify returns true when every signature was skipped before any cryptographic check
7.5
CVSS
0.3%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
XML::Sig versions from 0.29 before 0.72 for Perl allow signature verification bypass because verify returns true when every signature was skipped before any cryptographic check.
verify in lib/XML/Sig.pm counts the `//dsig:Signature` elements into `$numsigs` and iterates over them, but two paths reach `next` before any digest or key check runs: a `SignedInfo/Reference/@URI` that resolves to no element while `$numsigs` is greater than 1, and, when `id_attr` is set, a reference that does not match the requested ID. The loop records nothing about what it checked, so when every signature takes one of those paths control reaches the unconditional `return 1` that ends verify. Two `Signature` elements whose Reference URI names an ID that no element carries is enough, as is one such element combined with `id_attr`.
Any caller that passes untrusted XML to verify can receive a true return for a document in which no digest and no signature value was checked; a `cert` or `cert_text` trust anchor does not change this, because no key check runs. Versions up to 0.28 use an XML::XPath based verify that has no such skip and are not affected.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.3% · higher than 25% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
XM
XML::Sig · TIMLEGGE
0.29 before 0.72 · source: vendor, NVD
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-18568
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-18568
Patch
https://github.com/perl-net-saml2/perl-XML-Sig/commit/ef22cfed1ac0f29b316d17eb79cf6480e03ae16a.patch
Release Notes
https://metacpan.org/release/TIMLEGGE/XML-Sig-0.72/changes
Not Applicable
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-40934
More from XML::Sig
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9.1
CVE-2026-9390
XML::Sig versions before 0.71 for Perl allow XPath injection in ID lookup
