Process crash via stale JIT subject ownership
Published Sep 11, 2026 · Updated Sep 11, 2026
Incorrect memory management in PCRE2 before 10.48 allows context-dependent attackers to crash an embedding process via JIT matching. pcre2_jit_match overwrites a match-data block subject without freeing an earlier PCRE2_COPY_MATCHED_SUBJECT copy or clearing its ownership flag, so later cleanup frees caller-owned memory. Direct callers must reuse match data first with copied-subject matching and then with the JIT fast path; the resulting invalid free can crash or corrupt the embedding process.
Summary
What happened
Incorrect memory management in PCRE2 before 10.48 allows context-dependent attackers to crash an embedding process via JIT matching. pcre2_jit_match overwrites a match-data block subject without freeing an earlier PCRE2_COPY_MATCHED_SUBJECT copy or clearing its ownership flag, so later cleanup frees caller-owned memory. Direct callers must reuse match data first with copied-subject matching and then with the JIT fast path; the resulting invalid free can crash or corrupt the embedding process.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-89161
- Published
- Sep 11, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 11, 2026
- Vendor
- PCRE2 Project
- Product
- PCRE2
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- Unavailable
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 11, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=0 <10.48
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
No sourced classifications are available.
Public exploit references
- PCRE2 JIT match-data reuse reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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