How severe is CVE-2017-16231?

CVE-2017-16231 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-16231 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (41st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-16231?

CVE-2017-16231 affects Pcre. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-16231?

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

When was CVE-2017-16231 published?

CVE-2017-16231 was published on 2019-03-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-16231

CVE-2017-16231 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Pcre with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-119.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 2.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (41st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-119
Affected product: Pcre
Published: 2019-03-21
Last modified: 2026-06-17

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

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-16231?: 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
How severe is CVE-2017-16231?: CVE-2017-16231 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-16231 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (41st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-16231?: CVE-2017-16231 affects Pcre. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-16231?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2017-16231 published?: CVE-2017-16231 was published on 2019-03-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:pcre:pcre:8.41:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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