CVE-2026-100290
Double free after allocation failure in regcomp and regexec
Description
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.
INFO
Published Date :
Nov. 11, 2026, 4:17 p.m.
Last Modified :
Nov. 11, 2026, 4:17 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
3ff69d7a-14f2-4f67-a097-88dee7810d18
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | LOW | 3ff69d7a-14f2-4f67-a097-88dee7810d18 |
Solution
- Update the GNU C Library to the latest version.
- Apply vendor-provided security patches.
- Recompile applications linked against the library.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-100290.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-100290 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-100290
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-100290 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-100290 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
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New CVE Received by 3ff69d7a-14f2-4f67-a097-88dee7810d18
Nov. 11, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description 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. Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L Added CWE CWE-415 Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/100xxx/CVE-2026-100290.json">CVE-2026-100290</a> Added Reference https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=31935 Added Reference https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=34991 Added Reference https://sourceware.org/git/?p=glibc.git;a=blob_plain;f=advisories/GLIBC-SA-2026-0028