CVE-2005-2491: Integer overflow in pcre_compile.c in Perl Compatible Regular Expressions (PCRE) before 6.2, as used in mul...

Security readout for executives and security teams

CVE-2005-2491 is an old PCRE flaw where specially crafted regular expression quantifiers can corrupt heap memory. Software that lets untrusted users supply regex patterns may face arbitrary code execution risk. The source bundle names PCRE before 6.2 and examples including Python, Ethereal, and PHP. Exposure is most likely in legacy systems or products embedding PCRE before 6.2, especially services accepting user-controlled regular expressions. The CVE record’s affected product metadata is incomplete, so confirm exposure through vendor packages, embedded libraries, and advisories. Treat as high priority for legacy environments and externally exposed services. This is unlikely to affect modern patched stacks, but the arbitrary-code-execution impact justifies targeted inventory and remediation where old PCRE or bundled copies remain. Mitigation focus: Upgrade PCRE to 6.2 or a vendor-supported fixed version.; Apply vendor advisories for products bundling or statically linking PCRE.; Inventory legacy Python, Ethereal, PHP, and appliance packages using PCRE..

Prepared

Jun 29, 2026, 18:15 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.