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Vulnerability record · CVE-2017-16231 · published 21 March 2019

CVE-2017-16231: Pcre memory buffer overflow vulnerability

Pcre · Pcre

In PCRE 8.41, after compiling, a pcretest load test PoC produces a crash overflow in the function match() in pcre_exec.c because of a self-recursive call. NOTE: third parties dispute the relevance of this report, noting that there are options that can be used to limit the amount of stack that is used

5.5 CVSS 3.1 Medium EPSS 0.54% · top 55.9% CWE-119 · Memory buffer overflow
5.5CVSS 3.1 base score, v2 2.1
0.54%EPSS exploitation probability, 30 days
NoNot in CISA KEV
1Affected product versions listed by NVD
16References, 4 tagged exploit
17 Jun 2026Last modified by NVD

Description

In PCRE 8.41, after compiling, a pcretest load test PoC produces a crash overflow in the function match() in pcre_exec.c because of a self-recursive call. NOTE: third parties dispute the relevance of this report, noting that there are options that can be used to limit the amount of stack that is used

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

Affected products

1 vulnerable configurations from NVD's CPE data, grouped by vendor and product.

References

LinkTags
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/150897/PCRE-8.41-Buffer-Overflow.html Third Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Dec/33 Mailing ListThird Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/11 Mailing ListThird Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/3 ExploitMailing ListThird Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/7 Mailing ListThird Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/8 ExploitMailing ListThird Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/101688 Third Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
https://bugs.exim.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2047 Issue TrackingThird Party Advisory
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/150897/PCRE-8.41-Buffer-Overflow.html Third Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Dec/33 Mailing ListThird Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/11 Mailing ListThird Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/3 ExploitMailing ListThird Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/7 Mailing ListThird Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/8 ExploitMailing ListThird Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/101688 Third Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
https://bugs.exim.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2047 Issue TrackingThird Party Advisory

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Related vulnerabilities

Same products first, then exploited flaws of the same weakness class.

9.8CVE-2015-3210Pcre2 out-of-bounds write vulnerabilityHeap-based buffer overflow in PCRE 8.34 through 8.37 and PCRE2 10.10 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted regular expressi…EPSS 9.2%9.8CVE-2016-3191Pcre memory buffer overflow vulnerabilityThe 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 (*A…EPSS 8.4%9.8CVE-2016-1283Pcre memory buffer overflow vulnerabilityThe 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'(?'…EPSS 7.8%9.8CVE-2015-8391Pcre memory buffer overflow vulnerabilityThe pcre_compile function in pcre_compile.c in PCRE before 8.38 mishandles certain [: nesting, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of ser…EPSS 6.4%9.1CVE-2015-5073Ibm powerkvm memory buffer overflow vulnerabilityHeap-based buffer overflow in the find_fixedlength function in pcre_compile.c in PCRE before 8.38 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of servic…EPSS 7.7%7.8CVE-2015-2325Pcre out-of-bounds read vulnerabilityThe compile_branch function in PCRE before 8.37 allows context-dependent attackers to compile incorrect code, cause a denial of service (out-of-bound…EPSS 1.6%7.8CVE-2017-7245Pcre memory buffer overflow vulnerabilityStack-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 denial of…EPSS 2.4%7.8CVE-2017-7246Pcre memory buffer overflow vulnerabilityStack-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 denial of…EPSS 2.6%

Source: NIST National Vulnerability Database (record CVE-2017-16231), CISA KEV, FIRST EPSS (scores of 2026-10-12). This page is refreshed as NVD updates the record.