HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2017-16231

MEDIUM

CVE-2017-16231

CWE-119Published: March 21, 2019· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

5.5

CVSS v3.1

Official 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

Technical Analysis

CVE-2017-16231 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

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

A successful exploit results in availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 5.5.

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 VectorLocal

Attack ComplexityLow

Privileges Req.Low

User InteractionNone

ScopeUnchanged

Impact

ConfidentialityNone

IntegrityNone

AvailabilityHigh

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

Affected Vendors & Products

pcre1 product(s)

pcre

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://packetstormsecurity.com/files/150897/PCRE-8.41-Buffer-Overflow.html

ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Dec/33

ADVISORYhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/11

ADVISORYhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/3

ADVISORYhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/7

ADVISORYhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/8

ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/101688

ADVISORYhttps://bugs.exim.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2047

ADVISORYhttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/150897/PCRE-8.41-Buffer-Overflow.html

ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Dec/33

ADVISORYhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/11

ADVISORYhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/3

ADVISORYhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/7

ADVISORYhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/8

ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/101688

ADVISORYhttps://bugs.exim.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2047

All References (16)

→

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/150897/PCRE-8.41-Buffer-Overflow.htmlThird Party Advisory · VDB Entry

→

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Dec/33Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/11Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/3Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/7Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/8Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/101688Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry

→

https://bugs.exim.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2047Issue Tracking · Third Party Advisory

→

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/150897/PCRE-8.41-Buffer-Overflow.htmlThird Party Advisory · VDB Entry

→

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Dec/33Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/11Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/3Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/7Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/11/01/8Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/101688Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2017-16231

CVSS Score5.5 / 10

SeverityMEDIUM

WeaknessCWE-119

CISA KEVNo

Affected1 vendor(s)

PublishedMar 21, 2019

Related CVEs (CWE-119)

Recommended Actions

→Apply vendor patches immediately
→Monitor CVE-2017-16231 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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