Description
The pcre_compile2 function in pcre_compile.c in PCRE 8.38 mishandles the /((?:F?+(?:^(?(R)a+\"){99}-))(?J)(?'R'(?'R'<((?'RR'(?'R'\){97)?J)?J)(?'R'(?'R'\){99|(:(?|(?'R')(\k'R')|((?'R')))H'R'R)(H'R))))))/ pattern and related patterns with named subgroups, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (heap-based buffer overflow) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted regular expression, as demonstrated by a JavaScript RegExp object encountered by Konqueror.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 12 | pcre3 | 2:8.38-3.1 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 14.04 LTS | pcre3 | 1:8.31-2ubuntu2.2 | USN-2943-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 2 | rh-mariadb100-mariadb +8 | 1:10.0.25-4.el6 | RHSA-2016:1132 |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 12 SP2 | pcre | 8.39-5.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3161-1, SUSE-SU-2016:2971-1 |
| SLES 12 SP1 | pcre | 8.39-5.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3161-1, SUSE-SU-2016:2971-1 |
| SLES 12 | pcre | 8.39-7.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3161-1 |
Show 3 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES for SAP 12 SP2 | pcre | 8.39-5.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3161-1, SUSE-SU-2016:2971-1 |
| SLES for SAP 12 SP1 | pcre | 8.39-5.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3161-1, SUSE-SU-2016:2971-1 |
| SLES for SAP 12 | pcre | 8.39-7.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3161-1 |
Alpine
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.7 | php7 | 7.1.11-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.5 | php5 | 5.6.32-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.5 | php7 | 7.0.25-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.4 | pcre | 8.38-r1 | — |
Advisories 5
- WID-SEC-2026-3766 PCRE (Perl Compatible Regular Expressions): Schwachstelle ermöglicht Ausführen von beliebigem Programmcode mit den Rechten des Dienstes BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Oct 6, 2026
- RHSA-2016:1132 Red Hat Security Advisory: rh-mariadb100-mariadb security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Aug 5, 2026
- USN-2943-1 pcre3 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Apr 22, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2016:3161-1 Security update for pcre SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2016:2971-1 Security update for pcre SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
References
- RHSA-2016:1132 vendor-advisory
- https://bugs.exim.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1767
- SSA:2016-172-02 vendor-advisory
- 79825 vdb-entry
- FEDORA-2016-f5af8e27ce vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2016-65833b5dbc vendor-advisory
- http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/bulletinapr2016-2952098.html
- https://www.tenable.com/security/tns-2016-18
- https://www.tenable.com/security/tns-2017-14
- https://bto.bluecoat.com/security-advisory/sa128
- 1034555 vdb-entry
- GLSA-201607-02 vendor-advisory