CVE-2010-1168
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe Safe (aka Safe.pm) module before 2.25 for Perl allows context-dependent attackers to bypass intended (1) Safe::reval and (2) Safe::rdo access restrictions, and inject and execute arbitrary code, via vectors involving implicitly called methods and implicitly blessed objects, as demonstrated by the (a) DESTROY and (b) AUTOLOAD methods, related to "automagic methods."
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe Safe.pm module before version 2.25 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability where context-dependent attackers can bypass Safe::reval and Safe::rdo access restrictions. The attack exploits 'automagic methods' (DESTROY and AUTOLOAD) that are implicitly called on objects, allowing arbitrary code execution within the sandboxed compartment.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 2.08= 2.09= 2.11= 2.13= 2.14= 2.15= 2.16= 2.17= 2.18= 2.19= 2.20= 2.21CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed Safe.pm versionRun 'perl -MSafe -e "print $Safe::VERSION"' or check the Safe.pm file directly with 'perl -MSafe -e 'print $INC{"Safe.pm"}''. Compare the version number to the affected list: 2.08, 2.09, 2.11, 2.13, 2.14, 2.15, 2.16, 2.17, 2.18, 2.19, 2.20, 2.21.Affected if The installed version is one of the versions listed in the affected products list.
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Locate code using Safe::revalSearch Perl source files for calls to Safe::reval or $compartment->reval using grep or a code search tool.Affected if Safe::reval is used in the codebase.
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Locate code using Safe::rdoSearch Perl source files for calls to Safe::rdo or $compartment->rdo using grep or a code search tool.Affected if Safe::rdo is used in the codebase.
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Check for untrusted input reaching Safe functionsAudit the code paths that feed data into Safe::reval or Safe::rdo calls. Determine if any input originates from external sources such as user input, network data, or file contents that are not under full developer control.Affected if Untrusted or user-controlled data can reach Safe::reval or Safe::rdo functions.
You are affected if your installed Safe.pm version is 2.08, 2.09, 2.11, 2.13, 2.14, 2.15, 2.16, 2.17, 2.18, 2.19, 2.20, or 2.21 AND your code uses Safe::reval or Safe::rdo with untrusted input that could trigger the automagic method bypass.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade Safe.pm to version 2.25 or later to patch the automagic method bypass vulnerability. Alternatively, audit code to ensure no untrusted input reaches Safe::reval or Safe::rdo functions.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,696.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2010-1168 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sources- secunia.com
- secunia.com
- securitytracker.com
- www.redhat.com
- www.redhat.com
- blogs.perl.org
- blogs.sun.com
- cpansearch.perl.org
- kb.juniper.net
- kb.juniper.net
- secunia.com
- www.mandriva.com
- www.mandriva.com
- www.openwall.com
- www.vupen.com
- bugzilla.redhat.com
- oval.cisecurity.org
- oval.cisecurity.org
- nvd.nist.gov
Practitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2010-1168 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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