CRITICAL CVSS 9.8
Published: 2017-05-01

CVE-2017-8399

pcre pcre2 Security Advisory (CVE-2017-8399)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2017-8399 impacting pcre pcre2. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
PCRE2 before 10.30 has an out-of-bounds write caused by a stack-based buffer overflow in pcre2_match.c, related to a "pattern with very many captures."

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product pcre / pcre2
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-119

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2017-8399 impacting pcre pcre2.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2017-8399.yaml
id: cve-2017-8399

info:
  name: pcre pcre2 - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: critical
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2017-8399 affecting pcre pcre2.
    Evaluation: PCRE2 before 10.30 has an out-of-bounds write caused by a stack-based buffer overflow in pcre2_match.c, related to a "pattern with very many capt...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2017-8399
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 9.8
    cve-id: CVE-2017-8399
    cwe-id: CWE-119
  tags: cve,cve-2017-8399,pcre,pcre2,critical

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "pcre2"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2017-8399.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2017-8399
# Target: pcre pcre2 | CVSS: 9.8 (CRITICAL)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2017-8399 (pcre pcre2)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against pcre pcre2 scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2017-8399.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2017-8399
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install pcre2 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade pcre2 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update pcre2

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i pcre2 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i pcre2

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2017-8399 in pcre pcre2?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update pcre pcre2 packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2017-8399?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2017-8399?

CVE-2017-8399 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
9.8
CRITICAL SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2017-8399
Weakness CWE-119
Vendor pcre
Product pcre2
Published 2017-05-01
Vector CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H