HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2015-8381

HIGH

CVE-2015-8381

CWE-119Published: December 2, 2015· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.5

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The compile_regex function in pcre_compile.c in PCRE before 8.38 and pcre2_compile.c in PCRE2 before 10.2x mishandles the /(?J:(?|(:(?|(?'R')(\k'R')|((?'R')))H'Rk'Rf)|s(?'R'))))/ and /(?J:(?|(:(?|(?'R')(\z(?|(?'R')(\k'R')|((?'R')))k'R')|((?'R')))H'Ak'Rf)|s(?'R')))/ patterns, and related patterns with certain group references, 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.

Technical Analysis

CVE-2015-8381 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

Exploitation requires some privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

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

Exploitability

Attack VectorNetwork

Attack ComplexityLow

Privileges Req.

User Interaction

Scope

Impact

ConfidentialityP

IntegrityP

AvailabilityP

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

Affected Vendors & Products

pcre1 product(s)

perl compatible regular expression library

Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time

Offensive Security exploit database

GitHub PoC Search

Community PoC repositories

Rapid7 / Metasploit

Metasploit module search

Security advisories & exploits

Official NIST entry

CVE Program entry

External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/11/29/1

ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/76187

ADVISORYhttps://bto.bluecoat.com/security-advisory/sa128

ADVISORYhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/11/29/1

ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/76187

ADVISORYhttps://bto.bluecoat.com/security-advisory/sa128

All References (18)

→

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2750.html

→

http://vcs.pcre.org/pcre/code/trunk/ChangeLog?view=markupExploit · Release Notes

→

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/11/29/1Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/76187Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry

→

https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016:1132

→

https://bto.bluecoat.com/security-advisory/sa128Third Party Advisory

→

https://bugs.exim.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1667Exploit

→

https://bugs.exim.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1672Exploit

→

https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201607-02

→

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2750.html

→

http://vcs.pcre.org/pcre/code/trunk/ChangeLog?view=markupExploit · Release Notes

→

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/11/29/1Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/76187Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry

→

https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016:1132

→

https://bto.bluecoat.com/security-advisory/sa128Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2015-8381

CVSS Score7.5 / 10

SeverityHIGH

WeaknessCWE-119

CISA KEVNo

Affected1 vendor(s)

PublishedDec 2, 2015

Related CVEs (CWE-119)

Recommended Actions

→Apply vendor patches immediately
→Monitor CVE-2015-8381 in threat intel feeds
→Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts

Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.

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