Vulnerability Snapshot
CVE-2026-97230 is rated CRITICAL — exploitation is trivial or already observed in the wild and impact is severe. Patch immediately, not on the next maintenance window.
Executive Summary
IO::Socket::SSL::SelfCertificate versions 1.00 for Perl contains malware which executes Python code from an obfuscated URL.
The generate_certificate runs a Python script saved as a certificate file. The pyhton script attempts to retrieve code from a hardcoded http URL that is obfuscated with base64 encoding and run the response body directly.
The impact is that arbitrary code can be invoked as the user, without a dropped script being saved on the affected host.
The releases have no test scripts nor build hooks. The intention may have been to trigger the payload after installation.
The dropper script is in lib/Crypt/SelfCertificate/sample/cert.pem.
This is similar to CVE-2026-95831 for the module Crypt::SelfCertificate.
The SHA-256 digests of the files are
ba24ee8ec3b7f47f65bed62e16fb413ace50653cf44bd8ea90914390922831e0 IO-Socket-SSL-SelfCertificate-1.00.tar.gz
821d38830e5eb8607738421c25ac25f59fff02a6ab67daa32fbd020429454dac IO-Socket-SSL-SelfCertificate-1.00/lib/IO/S
Why It Matters
CVE-2026-97230 is rated CRITICAL severity, requiring immediate attention from security teams.
CVSS Base Score: 9.8/10
EPSS (Exploit Prediction): 0.1% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
🛡️What Defenders Should Check
Use Vulnios to continuously monitor your exposure to CVE-2026-97230 and similar vulnerabilities.
References & Sources
How Vulnios Detects This
Vulnios scans for this vulnerability using Trivy and Grype for SBOM-based CVE matching and Vulnios CVE feed continuous monitoring against your asset inventory. Run a scan against your environment to see whether you are exposed; findings are linked back to the original CVE record so triage starts with the patch path already known.
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Sources
Related Threat Alerts
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-97230?
CVE-2026-97230 is a critical-severity vulnerability tracked under the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures program. IO::Socket::SSL::SelfCertificate versions 1.00 for Perl contains malware which executes Python code from an obfuscated URL.
The generate_certificate runs a Python script saved as a certificate file.
Am I affected?
Affected technology is listed in the Affected Products section above. If your asset inventory contains any of them, assume in-scope until you can prove otherwise.
How urgent is the response?
Critical: do not wait for your normal patch cycle. Verify exposure today, apply the vendor patch immediately, and add detection rules for any post-exploit indicators.
How do I remediate?
Apply the vendor patch listed in the upstream advisory linked under Sources. If the patch is not yet available, follow the vendor-supplied workaround (often a config flag or feature disable) and add detections for the published exploit pattern in your SIEM. Re-scan after the patch lands to confirm the finding clears.
Where can I track exploitation activity?
Watch CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog for CVE-2026-97230. Cross-reference with public exploit databases and your own SIEM/IDS for indicator-of-compromise patterns. Vulnios tracks KEV status automatically and surfaces it on the asset findings view.
How does Vulnios help with this?
Vulnios continuously cross-references your asset inventory against the live CVE feed (NVD, vendor advisories, CISA KEV, and curated OSINT). When a new CVE matches your environment, you get a prioritized finding with the severity, KEV status, exploit-prediction (EPSS), and a direct path to the vendor patch. You can start a free scan from the homepage.
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