Vulnerability Report

CVE-2005-2491

Title: PCRE integer overflow via quantifier values in regular expressions

Memory Corruption

Proof Of Concept

No public PoC currently indexed for CVE-2005-2491.

CWE Category NVD-CWE-noinfo

Published Date Aug 23, 2005

Modified Date Jun 16, 2026

Exploit Status Not Found

Score 7.5 CVSS v2.0

Exploit Probability (EPSS)

4.34%

Vulnerability Summary

CVE-2005-2491: Integer overflow in pcre_compile.c in Perl Compatible Regular Expressions (PCRE) before 6.2, as used in multiple products such as Python, Ethereal, and PHP, allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via quantifier values in regular expressions, which leads to a heap-based buffer overflow.

Impacted Vendors

pcre 1

perl 1

Reference Links

ftp://ftp.sco.com/pub/updates/OpenServer/SCOSA-2006.10/SCOSA-2006.10.txt ftp://patches.sgi.com/support/free/security/advisories/20060401-01-U http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302847 http://itrc.hp.com/service/cki/docDisplay.do?docId=c00786522 http://lists.trustix.org/pipermail/tsl-announce/2005-October/000354.html http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=112605112027335&w=2 http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=112606064317223&w=2 http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=130497311408250&w=2 http://secunia.com/advisories/16502 http://secunia.com/advisories/16679 http://secunia.com/advisories/17252 http://secunia.com/advisories/17813 http://secunia.com/advisories/19072 http://secunia.com/advisories/19193 http://secunia.com/advisories/19532 http://secunia.com/advisories/21522 http://secunia.com/advisories/22691 http://secunia.com/advisories/22875 http://securityreason.com/securityalert/604 http://securitytracker.com/id?1014744 http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-26-102198-1 http://support.avaya.com/elmodocs2/security/ASA-2005-216.pdf http://support.avaya.com/elmodocs2/security/ASA-2005-223.pdf http://support.avaya.com/elmodocs2/security/ASA-2006-081.htm http://support.avaya.com/elmodocs2/security/ASA-2006-159.htm http://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-800 http://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-817 http://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-819 http://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-821 http://www.ethereal.com/appnotes/enpa-sa-00021.html http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200508-17.xml http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200509-02.xml http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200509-08.xml http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200509-12.xml http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200509-19.xml http://www.novell.com/linux/security/advisories/2005_48_pcre.html http://www.novell.com/linux/security/advisories/2005_49_php.html http://www.novell.com/linux/security/advisories/2005_52_apache2.html http://www.php.net/release_4_4_1.php http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2005-358.html http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2005-761.html http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2006-0197.html http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/427046/100/0/threaded http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/428138/100/0/threaded http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/14620 http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/15647 http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2005/1511 http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2005/2659 http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2006/0789 http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2006/4320 http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2006/4502 https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/54a42d4b01968df1117cea77fc53d6beb931c0e05936ad02af93e9ac%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/5df9bfb86a3b054bb985a45ff9250b0332c9ecc181eec232489e7f79%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r0276683d8e1e07153fc8642618830ac0ade85b9ae0dc7b07f63bb8fc%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r2cb985de917e7da0848c440535f65a247754db8b2154a10089e4247b%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r5001ecf3d6b2bdd0b732e527654248abb264f08390045d30709a92f6%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r8828e649175df56f1f9e3919938ac7826128525426e2748f0ab62feb%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r9e8622254184645bc963a1d47c5d47f6d5a36d6f080d8d2c43b2b142%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r9f93cf6dde308d42a9c807784e8102600d0397f5f834890708bf6920%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rafd145ba6cd0a4ced113a5823cdaff45aeb36eb09855b216401c66d6%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rd65d8ba68ba17e7deedafbf5bb4899f2ae4dad781d21b931c2941ac3%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/re895fc1736d25c8cf57e102c871613b8aeec9ea26fd8a44e7942b5ab%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf6449464fd8b7437704c55f88361b66f12d5b5f90bcce66af4be4ba9%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A11516 https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A1496 https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A1659 https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A735 ftp://ftp.sco.com/pub/updates/OpenServer/SCOSA-2006.10/SCOSA-2006.10.txt ftp://patches.sgi.com/support/free/security/advisories/20060401-01-U http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302847 http://itrc.hp.com/service/cki/docDisplay.do?docId=c00786522 http://lists.trustix.org/pipermail/tsl-announce/2005-October/000354.html http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=112605112027335&w=2 http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=112606064317223&w=2 http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=130497311408250&w=2 http://secunia.com/advisories/16502 http://secunia.com/advisories/16679 http://secunia.com/advisories/17252 http://secunia.com/advisories/17813 http://secunia.com/advisories/19072 http://secunia.com/advisories/19193 http://secunia.com/advisories/19532 http://secunia.com/advisories/21522 http://secunia.com/advisories/22691 http://secunia.com/advisories/22875 http://securityreason.com/securityalert/604 http://securitytracker.com/id?1014744 http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-26-102198-1 http://support.avaya.com/elmodocs2/security/ASA-2005-216.pdf http://support.avaya.com/elmodocs2/security/ASA-2005-223.pdf http://support.avaya.com/elmodocs2/security/ASA-2006-081.htm http://support.avaya.com/elmodocs2/security/ASA-2006-159.htm http://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-800 http://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-817 http://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-819 http://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-821 http://www.ethereal.com/appnotes/enpa-sa-00021.html http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200508-17.xml http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200509-02.xml http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200509-08.xml http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200509-12.xml http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200509-19.xml http://www.novell.com/linux/security/advisories/2005_48_pcre.html http://www.novell.com/linux/security/advisories/2005_49_php.html http://www.novell.com/linux/security/advisories/2005_52_apache2.html http://www.php.net/release_4_4_1.php http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2005-358.html http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2005-761.html http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2006-0197.html http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/427046/100/0/threaded http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/428138/100/0/threaded http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/14620 http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/15647 http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2005/1511 http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2005/2659 http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2006/0789 http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2006/4320 http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2006/4502 https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/54a42d4b01968df1117cea77fc53d6beb931c0e05936ad02af93e9ac%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/5df9bfb86a3b054bb985a45ff9250b0332c9ecc181eec232489e7f79%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r0276683d8e1e07153fc8642618830ac0ade85b9ae0dc7b07f63bb8fc%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r2cb985de917e7da0848c440535f65a247754db8b2154a10089e4247b%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r5001ecf3d6b2bdd0b732e527654248abb264f08390045d30709a92f6%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r8828e649175df56f1f9e3919938ac7826128525426e2748f0ab62feb%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r9e8622254184645bc963a1d47c5d47f6d5a36d6f080d8d2c43b2b142%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r9f93cf6dde308d42a9c807784e8102600d0397f5f834890708bf6920%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rafd145ba6cd0a4ced113a5823cdaff45aeb36eb09855b216401c66d6%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rd65d8ba68ba17e7deedafbf5bb4899f2ae4dad781d21b931c2941ac3%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/re895fc1736d25c8cf57e102c871613b8aeec9ea26fd8a44e7942b5ab%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf6449464fd8b7437704c55f88361b66f12d5b5f90bcce66af4be4ba9%40%3Ccvs.httpd.apache.org%3E https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A11516 https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A1496 https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A1659 https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A735

CVSS v2.0

Source Entity [email protected]

Severity HIGH

7.5

Access Vector

N/A

Authentication

N/A

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

Associated Attack Patterns (CAPEC)

Total: Patterns

CVE-2005-2491 Exploits & PoCs (Proof Of Concept)

No public PoCs found in our database for this CVE.

June 16, 2026 MODIFIED

Vulnerability data updated via NVD.

April 03, 2025 MODIFIED

Vulnerability data or affected products updated.

August 23, 2005 PUBLISHED

Vulnerability first announced in NVD.

Attack Vector Matrix

Access Vector N/A

Complexity N/A

Privileges N/A

Interaction NONE

CVSS Vector String


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

Affected Stack

No specific products linked.