CVE-2015-5073
CWE-119Published: December 13, 2016· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
Official Description
Heap-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 service (crash) or obtain sensitive information from heap memory and possibly bypass the ASLR protection mechanism via a crafted regular expression with an excess closing parenthesis.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2015-5073 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.
A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.1.
From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-119): Buffer overflow vulnerabilities can lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service by corrupting adjacent memory.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (26)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-119)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2015-5073 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts