CVE-2015-8391

Name: CVE-2015-8391
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2015-12-02T01:59:15.323+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.8/10EPSS 6.40%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2015-8391 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.8/10 on the CVSS scale. The pcre_compile function in pcre_compile.c in PCRE before 8.38 mishandles certain [: nesting, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted regular expression, as demonstrated by a JavaScript RegExp object encountered by Konqueror.. EPSS estimates a 6.40% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The pcre_compile function in pcre_compile.c in PCRE before 8.38 mishandles certain [: nesting, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted regular expression, as demonstrated by a JavaScript RegExp object encountered by Konqueror.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

6.40%

92.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-119

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Pcre	Pcre	< 8.38
Oracle	Linux	7
Fedoraproject	Fedora	22
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Desktop	7.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Eus	7.2
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Eus	7.3
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Eus	7.4
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Eus	7.5
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Eus	7.6
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Eus	7.7
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server	7.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server Aus	7.2
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server Aus	7.3
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server Aus	7.4
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server Aus	7.6
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server Aus	7.7
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server Tus	7.2
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server Tus	7.3
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server Tus	7.6
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server Tus	7.7
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Workstation	7.0
Php	Php	>= 5.5.0, < 5.5.32
Php	Php	>= 5.6.0, < 5.6.18
Php	Php	>= 7.0.0, < 7.0.3

References

http://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-announce/2016-January/174931.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-1025.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2750.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://vcs.pcre.org/pcre/code/trunk/ChangeLog?view=markupBroken Link
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg3T1023886Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/11/29/1Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinapr2016-2952096.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/82990Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016:1132Third Party Advisory
https://bto.bluecoat.com/security-advisory/sa128Permissions Required
https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?docId=emr_na-c05240731Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201607-02Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230216-0002/
http://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-announce/2016-January/174931.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-1025.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2750.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://vcs.pcre.org/pcre/code/trunk/ChangeLog?view=markupBroken Link
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg3T1023886Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/11/29/1Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinapr2016-2952096.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/82990Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016:1132Third Party Advisory
https://bto.bluecoat.com/security-advisory/sa128Permissions Required
https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?docId=emr_na-c05240731Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201607-02Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230216-0002/

Timeline

Published: Dec 2, 2015
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2015-8391?

How severe is CVE-2015-8391?

CVE-2015-8391 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 6.40% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2015-8391?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2015-8391?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST