CVE-2008-2371

What it is

Heap-based buffer overflow in pcre_compile.c in the Perl-Compatible Regular Expression (PCRE) library 7.7 allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a regular expression that begins with an option and contains multiple branches.

At a glance

Exploitability

Can be exploited over the network without logging in. Limited direct impact.

Exploit odds

6.7% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).

Fix

No patch or advisory is linked yet. Look at mitigations or restrict exposure.

Timeline

1. 2008-07-07 23:41 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2. 2026-06-16 22:53 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Why it ranks here

• Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
• Exploit odds: 6.7% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
• Severity: 7.5 HIGH (CVSS).
• Fix: none linked yet, which raises it.

Details

Published

2008-07-07 23:41 UTC

Last modified

2026-06-16 22:53 UTC

Exploit probability

6.7% · EPSS, next 30 days

Weakness

CWE-787 · Out-of-bounds write

Record status

Modified

Affected

• Pcre 7.7
• PHP ≤ 5.2.7
• Debian Linux 4.0
• Canonical Ubuntu Linux 6.06
• Canonical Ubuntu Linux 7.04
• Canonical Ubuntu Linux 7.10
• Canonical Ubuntu Linux 8.04
• Canonical Ubuntu Linux 9.10

Attack profile CVSS 2.0 · 7.5

Attack vector

Network

Complexity

Low

Authentication

None

Confidentiality

Partial

Integrity

Partial

Availability

Partial

Is it in your code?

Hand this to your coding agent. It searches your project for the affected products and checks versions. Nothing leaves your machine.

Read https://cve-list.com/agent/cve/CVE-2008-2371.md and follow it. Check whether this project is affected by CVE-2008-2371. Read only. Don't change anything and don't upload my code. Tell me yes, no or not sure, with the file as proof.

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