The compile_branch function in pcre_compile.c in PCRE 8.x before 8.39 and pcre2_compile.c in PCRE2 before 10.22 mishandles patterns containi
The compile_branch function in pcre_compile.c in PCRE 8.x before 8.39 and pcre2_compile.c in PCRE2 before 10.22 mishandles patterns containing an (*ACCEPT) substring in conjunction with nested parentheses, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (stack-based buffer overflow) via a crafted regular expression, as demonstrated by a JavaScript RegExp object encountered by Konqueror, aka ZDI-CAN-3542.
- Published
- Mar 17, 2016
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 8.4% · 95th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-119
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Report tools
Action score
42
Plan
Add it to your regular patch cycle.
- CVSS
- 39 / 40 · 9.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 3 / 30 · 8.4%
Affected systems
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- pcre pcre8.00
- pcre pcre8.01
- pcre pcre8.02
- pcre pcre8.10
- pcre pcre8.11
- pcre pcre8.12
- pcre pcre8.13
- pcre pcre8.20
- pcre pcre8.21
- pcre pcre8.30
- pcre pcre8.31
- pcre pcre8.32
- pcre pcre8.33
- pcre pcre8.34
- pcre pcre8.35
- pcre pcre8.36
- pcre pcre8.37
- pcre pcre8.38
- pcre pcre2up to 10.21 inclusive
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine:v3.4 | pcre | before 8.38-r1 | 8.38-r1 |
| Debian:12 | pcre2 | before 10.21-1 | 10.21-1 |
| Debian:12 | pcre3 | before 2:8.38-2 | 2:8.38-2 |
| Debian:6.0 | pcre3 | before 8.02-1.1+deb6u1 | 8.02-1.1+deb6u1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | pcre | before 0:8.32-15.el7_2.1 | 0:8.32-15.el7_2.1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | pcre-debuginfo | before 0:8.32-15.el7_2.1 | 0:8.32-15.el7_2.1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | pcre-devel | before 0:8.32-15.el7_2.1 | 0:8.32-15.el7_2.1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | pcre-static | before 0:8.32-15.el7_2.1 | 0:8.32-15.el7_2.1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | pcre-tools | before 0:8.32-15.el7_2.1 | 0:8.32-15.el7_2.1 |
Same product
pcre: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2016-1283The pcre_compile2 function in pcre_compile.c in PCRE 8.38 mishandles the /((?:F?+(?:^(?(R)a+\"){99}-))(?J)(?'R'(?'R'<((?'RR'(?'R'\){97)?J)?J41Plan
- CVE-2015-8391The pcre_compile function in pcre_compile.c in PCRE before 8.38 mishandles certain [: nesting, which allows remote attackers to cause a deni41Plan
- CVE-2015-5073Heap-based buffer overflow in the find_fixedlength function in pcre_compile.c in PCRE before 8.38 allows remote attackers to cause a denial 38Monitor
- CVE-2017-7246Stack-based buffer overflow in the pcre32_copy_substring function in pcre_get.c in libpcre1 in PCRE 8.40 allows remote attackers to cause a 32Monitor
- CVE-2017-7245Stack-based buffer overflow in the pcre32_copy_substring function in pcre_get.c in libpcre1 in PCRE 8.40 allows remote attackers to cause a 32Monitor
- CVE-2017-7186libpcre1 in PCRE 8.40 and libpcre2 in PCRE2 10.23 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (segmentation violation for read acces32Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| alpine:pcre | 8.38-r1 · Alpine:v3.4 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:pcre2 | 10.21-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:pcre3 | 2:8.38-2 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:pcre | 0:8.32-15.el7_2.1 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:pcre-debuginfo | 0:8.32-15.el7_2.1 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:pcre-devel | 0:8.32-15.el7_2.1 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:pcre-static | 0:8.32-15.el7_2.1 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:pcre-tools | 0:8.32-15.el7_2.1 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-119 · Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory BufferCVSS vector
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- Buffer Overflow via Environment VariablesCAPEC-10likelihood: High · High
- Overflow BuffersCAPEC-100likelihood: High · Very High
- Buffer ManipulationCAPEC-123likelihood: High · Very High
- Client-side Injection-induced Buffer OverflowCAPEC-14likelihood: Medium · High
- Filter Failure through Buffer OverflowCAPEC-24likelihood: High · High
- MIME ConversionCAPEC-42likelihood: High · High
- Overflow Binary Resource FileCAPEC-44likelihood: High · Very High
- Buffer Overflow via Symbolic LinksCAPEC-45likelihood: High · High
ATT&CK techniques
—
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
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References
- rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-1025.html
- vcs.pcre.org/pcre2?view=revision&revision=489
- vcs.pcre.org/pcre?view=revision&revision=1631
- www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg3T1023886
- www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinapr2016-2952096.html
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/84810
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016:1132
- bto.bluecoat.com/security-advisory/sa128
- bugs.debian.org/815920
- bugs.debian.org/815921
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1311503
- www.tenable.com/security/tns-2016-18
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.