CVE-2026-18568: \ Signature Bypass — Fix

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.

Is your site exposed to CVE-2026-18568?

Run a free security scan — no signup, results in seconds.

CVSS v3.1 Score

7.5

HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0019

Probability of exploitation

0.09%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-347 CWE-347

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
xml\	\	0.29 — 0.72

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/perl-net-saml2/perl-XML-Sig/commit/ef22cfed1ac0f29b316d17eb79cf6480e03ae16a.patch

Other References

https://metacpan.org/release/TIMLEGGE/XML-Sig-0.72/changes https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-40934

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 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. 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. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-18568? +

CVE-2026-18568 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.5 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0019, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-18568? +

CVE-2026-18568 affects products from xml\, specifically: \. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-18568? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

Related Vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-46684

DataEase is an open source data visualization and analysis tool. Prior to 2.10.23, DataEase enterprise token handling can let TokenFilter#doFilter() …

CVE-2026-59639

In Bouncy Castle for Java before 1.85, CMS verifySignatures returns true for SignedData with zero signers. This issue also affects …

CVE-2026-12860

In Bouncy Castle for Java before 1.85, RSA PKCS#1 verification skips last two hash bytes in NULL-omitted path. This issue …

CVE-2026-44720

OpenLearnX is an open-source, decentralized learning and assessment platform. Prior to 2.0.4, a critical authentication vulnerability was identified in OpenLearnX …

CVE-2025-24800

Hyperbridge is a hyper-scalable coprocessor for verifiable, cross-chain interoperability. A critical vulnerability was discovered in the ismp-grandpa crate, that allowed …

CVE-2025-27498

aes-gcm is a pure Rust implementation of the AES-GCM. In decrypt_in_place_detached, the decrypted ciphertext (which is the correct ciphertext) is …

CVE-2026-18568