How severe is CVE-2014-3538?

CVE-2014-3538 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 5.0, rated medium severity.

Is CVE-2014-3538 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 12% (96th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2014-3538?

CVE-2014-3538 primarily affects Christos Zoulas File. In total, 22 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2014-3538?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2014-3538 published?

CVE-2014-3538 was published on 2014-07-03 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2014-3538

CVE-2014-3538 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Christos Zoulas File with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 5.0. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 12% places it in the 96th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-399.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 2.0 base score 5.0)
EPSS exploit prediction: 12% (96th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-399
Affected product: Christos Zoulas File
Published: 2014-07-03
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

file before 5.19 does not properly restrict the amount of data read during a regex search, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via a crafted file that triggers backtracking during processing of an awk rule. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2013-7345.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2014-3538?: file before 5.19 does not properly restrict the amount of data read during a regex search, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via a crafted file that triggers backtracking during processing of an awk rule. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2013-7345.
How severe is CVE-2014-3538?: CVE-2014-3538 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 5.0, rated medium severity.
Is CVE-2014-3538 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 12% (96th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2014-3538?: CVE-2014-3538 primarily affects Christos Zoulas File. In total, 22 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2014-3538?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2014-3538 published?: CVE-2014-3538 was published on 2014-07-03 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (22)

cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:5.00:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:5.01:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:5.02:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:5.03:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:5.04:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:5.05:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:5.06:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:5.07:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:5.08:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:5.09:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:5.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:5.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:5.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:5.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:5.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:5.15:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:5.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:christos_zoulas:file:5.17:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:php:php:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Christos Zoulas File

CVE-2009-3930 — Critical (CVSS 9.3): Multiple integer overflows in Christos Zoulas file before 5.02 allow user-assisted remote attackers to have an…
CVE-2009-1515 — Medium (CVSS 6.8): Heap-based buffer overflow in the cdf_read_sat function in src/cdf.c in Christos Zoulas file 5.00 allows user-assisted…
CVE-2014-3478 — Medium (CVSS 6.5): Buffer overflow in the mconvert function in softmagic.c in file before 5.19, as used in the Fileinfo component in PHP…
CVE-2014-0207 — Medium (CVSS 6.5): The cdf_read_short_sector function in cdf.c in file before 5.19, as used in the Fileinfo component in PHP before 5.4.30…
CVE-2012-1571 — Medium (CVSS 6.5): file before 5.11 and libmagic allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a crafted Composite…
CVE-2013-7345 — Medium (CVSS 5.0): The BEGIN regular expression in the awk script detector in magic/Magdir/commands in file before 5.15 uses multiple…

All CVEs affecting Christos Zoulas File →

Other CWE-399 (Resource Management Errors) vulnerabilities

CVE-2015-8104 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The KVM subsystem in the Linux kernel through 4.2.6, and Xen 4.3.x through 4.6.x, allows guest OS users to cause a…
CVE-2015-0339 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2015-0335 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2015-0333 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2014-4121 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 SP2, 3.5, 3.5.1, 4, 4.5, 4.5.1, and 4.5.2 does not properly parse internationalized…
CVE-2014-0560 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.x before 10.1.12 and 11.x before 11.0.09 on Windows and OS…

Browse all CWE-399 (Resource Management Errors) vulnerabilities →

Threat intelligence

Threat-intel indicators referencing this CVE:

45.84.120.3 (ipv4-addr)
200.196.50.91 (ipv4-addr)
187.110.238.50 (ipv4-addr)
113.164.66.10 (ipv4-addr)
103.38.219.22 (ipv4-addr)
103.148.100.146 (ipv4-addr)
80.87.83.229 (ipv4-addr)
183.182.99.92 (ipv4-addr)