CVE-2026-100290
Double free after allocation failure in regcomp and regexec
The regcomp and regexec functions in the GNU C Library version 2.3 to version 2.44 may read freed memory and free the same heap block twice when a memory allocation fails while a regular expression is compiled or matched. The re_dfa_add_node (the NFA node table) and build_range_exp (bracket ranges) grow several arrays with consecutive realloc calls and store the new pointers only after all of them succeed. When a later call fails, the pattern buffer keeps pointers to blocks that were already freed, and the error cleanup frees them again. In regexec, the back-reference cache (match_ctx_add_entry) frees its array when a realloc fails but keeps the pointer, which is freed again on the error path.
An attacker does not need to supply a crafted regular expression: patterns large enough to grow these arrays are common. The failure has to hit a specific allocation, though, so the issue can only be reached when the system is already under memory pressure. An attacker who supplies the pattern or the subject string has little control over which allocation fails, so the expected impact is a crash of the process. This issue affects all architectures and ABIs supported by the GNU C Library.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- Low
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used 3.7
Double free after allocation failure in regcomp and regexec
The regcomp and regexec functions in the GNU C Library version 2.3 to version 2.44 may read freed memory and free the same heap block twice when a memory allocation fails while a regular expression is compiled or matched. The re_dfa_add_node (the NFA node table) and build_range_exp (bracket ranges) grow several arrays with consecutive realloc calls and store the new pointers only after all of them succeed. When a later call fails, the pattern buffer keeps pointers to blocks that were already freed, and the error cleanup frees them again. In regexec, the back-reference cache (match_ctx_add_entry) frees its array when a realloc fails but keeps the pointer, which is freed again on the error path.
An attacker does not need to supply a crafted regular expression: patterns large enough to grow these arrays are common. The failure has to hit a specific allocation, though, so the issue can only be reached when the system is already under memory pressure. An attacker who supplies the pattern or the subject string has little control over which allocation fails, so the expected impact is a crash of the process. This issue affects all architectures and ABIs supported by the GNU C Library.
- Record
CVE-2026-100290- CVSS 3.1
- 3.7 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-415
- Updated
- 2026-11-11
EUVDEUVD-2026-123573 3.7
The regcomp and regexec functions in the GNU C Library version 2.3 to version 2.44 may read freed memory and free the same heap block twice when a memory allocation fails while a regular expression is compiled or matched. The re_dfa_add_node (the NFA node table) and build_range_exp (bracket ranges) grow several arrays with consecutive realloc calls and store the new pointers only after all of them succeed. When a later call fails, the pattern buffer keeps pointers to blocks that were already freed, and the error cleanup frees them again. In regexec, the back-reference cache (match_ctx_add_entry) frees its array when a realloc fails but keeps the pointer, which is freed again on the error path.
An attacker does not need to supply a crafted regular expression: patterns large enough to grow these arrays are common. The failure has to hit a specific allocation, though, so the issue can only be reached when the system is already under memory pressure. An attacker who supplies the pattern or the subject string has little control over which allocation fails, so the expected impact is a crash of the process. This issue affects all architectures and ABIs supported by the GNU C Library.
- Record
EUVD-2026-123573- CVSS 3.1
- 3.7 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L - Updated
- 2026-11-11
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-qvhh-2rc2-h32w 3.7
The regcomp and regexec functions in the GNU C Library version 2.3 to version 2.44 may read freed...
The regcomp and regexec functions in the GNU C Library version 2.3 to version 2.44 may read freed memory and free the same heap block twice when a memory allocation fails while a regular expression is compiled or matched. The re_dfa_add_node (the NFA node table) and build_range_exp (bracket ranges) grow several arrays with consecutive realloc calls and store the new pointers only after all of them succeed. When a later call fails, the pattern buffer keeps pointers to blocks that were already freed, and the error cleanup frees them again. In regexec, the back-reference cache (match_ctx_add_entry) frees its array when a realloc fails but keeps the pointer, which is freed again on the error path.
An attacker does not need to supply a crafted regular expression: patterns large enough to grow these arrays are common. The failure has to hit a specific allocation, though, so the issue can only be reached when the system is already under memory pressure. An attacker who supplies the pattern or the subject string has little control over which allocation fails, so the expected impact is a crash of the process. This issue affects all architectures and ABIs supported by the GNU C Library.
- Record
GHSA-qvhh-2rc2-h32w- CVSS 3.1
- 3.7 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-415
- Updated
- 2026-11-11
NVD 3.7
The regcomp and regexec functions in the GNU C Library version 2.3 to version 2.44 may read freed memory and free the same heap block twice when a memory allocation fails while a regular expression is compiled or matched. The re_dfa_add_node (the NFA node table) and build_range_exp (bracket ranges) grow several arrays with consecutive realloc calls and store the new pointers only after all of them succeed. When a later call fails, the pattern buffer keeps pointers to blocks that were already freed, and the error cleanup frees them again. In regexec, the back-reference cache (match_ctx_add_entry) frees its array when a realloc fails but keeps the pointer, which is freed again on the error path.
An attacker does not need to supply a crafted regular expression: patterns large enough to grow these arrays are common. The failure has to hit a specific allocation, though, so the issue can only be reached when the system is already under memory pressure. An attacker who supplies the pattern or the subject string has little control over which allocation fails, so the expected impact is a crash of the process. This issue affects all architectures and ABIs supported by the GNU C Library.
- Record
CVE-2026-100290- CVSS 3.1
- 3.7 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-415
- Updated
- 2026-11-11
OSV 3.7
Double free after allocation failure in regcomp and regexec
The regcomp and regexec functions in the GNU C Library version 2.3 to version 2.44 may read freed memory and free the same heap block twice when a memory allocation fails while a regular expression is compiled or matched. The re_dfa_add_node (the NFA node table) and build_range_exp (bracket ranges) grow several arrays with consecutive realloc calls and store the new pointers only after all of them succeed. When a later call fails, the pattern buffer keeps pointers to blocks that were already freed, and the error cleanup frees them again. In regexec, the back-reference cache (match_ctx_add_entry) frees its array when a realloc fails but keeps the pointer, which is freed again on the error path.
An attacker does not need to supply a crafted regular expression: patterns large enough to grow these arrays are common. The failure has to hit a specific allocation, though, so the issue can only be reached when the system is already under memory pressure. An attacker who supplies the pattern or the subject string has little control over which allocation fails, so the expected impact is a crash of the process. This issue affects all architectures and ABIs supported by the GNU C Library.
- Record
CVE-2026-100290- CVSS 3.1
- 3.7 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-415
- Updated
- 2026-11-12
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2026-100290 3.7
The regcomp and regexec functions in the GNU C Library version 2.3 to version 2.44 may read freed memory and free the same heap block twice when a memory allocation fails while a regular expression is compiled or matched. The re_dfa_add_node (the NFA node table) and build_range_exp (bracket ranges) grow several arrays with consecutive realloc calls and store the new pointers only after all of them succeed. When a later call fails, the pattern buffer keeps pointers to blocks that were already freed, and the error cleanup frees them again. In regexec, the back-reference cache (match_ctx_add_entry) frees its array when a realloc fails but keeps the pointer, which is freed again on the error path. An attacker does not need to supply a crafted regular expression: patterns large enough to grow these arrays are common. The failure has to hit a specific allocation, though, so the issue can only be reached when the system is already under memory pressure. An attacker who supplies the pattern or the subject string has little control over which allocation fails, so the expected impact is a crash of the process. This issue affects all architectures and ABIs supported by the GNU C Library.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2026-100290- CVSS 3.1
- 3.7 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L - Updated
- 2026-11-12
OSVAZL-113345No score
CVE-2026-100290 affecting package glibc 2.38-21
The regcomp and regexec functions in the GNU C Library version 2.3 to version 2.44 may read freed memory and free the same heap block twice when a memory allocation fails while a regular expression is compiled or matched. The re_dfa_add_node (the NFA node table) and build_range_exp (bracket ranges) grow several arrays with consecutive realloc calls and store the new pointers only after all of them succeed. When a later call fails, the pattern buffer keeps pointers to blocks that were already freed, and the error cleanup frees them again. In regexec, the back-reference cache (match_ctx_add_entry) frees its array when a realloc fails but keeps the pointer, which is freed again on the error path.
An attacker does not need to supply a crafted regular expression: patterns large enough to grow these arrays are common. The failure has to hit a specific allocation, though, so the issue can only be reached when the system is already under memory pressure. An attacker who supplies the pattern or the subject string has little control over which allocation fails, so the expected impact is a crash of the process. This issue affects all architectures and ABIs supported by the GNU C Library.
- Record
AZL-113345- Updated
- 2026-11-12
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
glibcAzure Linux:3 | through 2.38-21 | None known |
glibcDebian:12 | All versions, plus listed versions 2.36-10~02.36-92.36-9+deb12u12.36-9+deb12u102.36-9+deb12u11 Show 45 moreShow less2.36-9+deb12u122.36-9+deb12u132.36-9+deb12u142.36-9+deb12u22.36-9+deb12u32.36-9+deb12u42.36-9+deb12u52.36-9+deb12u62.36-9+deb12u72.36-9+deb12u82.36-9+deb12u92.36-9+loong642.37-12.37-102.37-112.37-122.37-132.37-142.37-152.37-15.12.37-15.1+sh42.37-15~deb13u12.37-162.37-172.37-182.37-192.37-22.37-32.37-42.37-52.37-62.37-72.37-82.37-92.38-12.38-102.38-112.38-122.38-12.12.38-132.38-142.38-15~02.38-15~12.38-22.38-3 | None known |
glibcDebian:13 | All versions, plus listed versions 2.41-122.41-12+deb13u12.41-12+deb13u22.41-12+deb13u32.41-12+deb13u4 Show 37 moreShow less2.41-13~hurd.02.41-13~hurd.12.42-12.42-102.42-112.42-122.42-12~hurd.12.42-132.42-142.42-14~hurd.12.42-152.42-15~hurd.12.42-162.42-172.42-22.42-32.42-42.42-52.42-62.42-72.42-82.42-8~hurd.12.42-8~hurd.22.42-92.43-12.43-22.43-32.43-3+m68k2.43-42.43-4+m68k2.43-52.43-62.43-72.43-7~hurd.12.44-12.44-22.44-3 | None known |
glibcDebian:14 | All versions, plus listed versions 2.41-122.41-13~hurd.02.41-13~hurd.12.42-12.42-10 Show 33 moreShow less2.42-112.42-122.42-12~hurd.12.42-132.42-142.42-14~hurd.12.42-152.42-15~hurd.12.42-162.42-172.42-22.42-32.42-42.42-52.42-62.42-72.42-82.42-8~hurd.12.42-8~hurd.22.42-92.43-12.43-22.43-32.43-3+m68k2.43-42.43-4+m68k2.43-52.43-62.43-72.43-7~hurd.12.44-12.44-22.44-3 | None known |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| affected, aliases, references | OSV | |
| references | OSV | |
| affected, aliases, references | OSV | |
| published | EUVD | |
| published | EUVD | |
| aliases, references | GitHub Advisories | |
| aliases, published | EUVD, NVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-100290 is a low vulnerability (CVSS 3.7) in The Gnu C Library Glibc, published November 11, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.34%, the 27th percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=34991
sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=31935
sourceware.org/git?p=glibc.git;a=blob_plain;f=advisories/GLIBC-SA-2026-0028
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-100290
github.com/advisories/GHSA-qvhh-2rc2-h32w
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/100xxx/CVE-2026-100290.json
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-100290
Left out here: 86 versions. The JSON record has them.