9.2
CRITICAL CVSS 4.0
CVE-2026-42533
NGINX Map directive and Regex matching vulnerability
Description

A vulnerability exists in NGINX Plus and NGINX Open Source when a map directive uses regex matching and a string expression references the map's regex capture variables before referencing the map output variable. Alternatively, the same result could be achieved by using a non-cacheable variable in a string expression under certain conditions. An unauthenticated attacker along with conditions beyond their control can exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests. This may cause a heap buffer overflow in the NGINX worker process leading to a restart. Additionally, attackers can execute code on systems with Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) disabled or when the attacker can bypass ASLR. Impact: This vulnerability may allow remote attackers to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) on the NGINX system or to possibly trigger a code execution. There is no control plane exposure; this is a data plane issue only.  Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.

INFO

Published Date :

July 15, 2026, 3:16 p.m.

Last Modified :

July 15, 2026, 4:23 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

Yes !
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-42533 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 F5 nginx_plus
2 F5 nginx_open_source
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
CVSS 3.1 HIGH 9dacffd4-cb11-413f-8451-fbbfd4ddc0ab
CVSS 3.1 HIGH [email protected]
CVSS 4.0 CRITICAL 9dacffd4-cb11-413f-8451-fbbfd4ddc0ab
CVSS 4.0 CRITICAL [email protected]
Solution
Update NGINX to a patched version to fix heap buffer overflow and potential code execution.
  • Update NGINX Plus and Open Source to a patched version.
  • Apply vendor-provided patches and security updates.
  • Restart the NGINX worker process after updates.
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-2026-42533.

URL Resource
https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K000162097
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-42533 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-2026-42533 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-2026-42533 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-42533 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.

  • CVE Modified by 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

    Jul. 15, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added SSVC {'id': 'CVE-2026-42533', 'role': 'CISA Coordinator', 'options': [{'exploitation': 'none'}, {'automatable': 'no'}, {'technicalImpact': 'total'}], 'version': '2.0.3', 'timestamp': '2026-07-15T15:37:45.453471Z'}
  • New CVE Received by [email protected]

    Jul. 15, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Affected [{'vendor': 'F5', 'modules': ['map directive with regex matching'], 'product': 'NGINX Plus', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '37.0.0.1', 'lessThan': '37.0.3.1', 'versionType': 'custom'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': 'R36', 'lessThan': 'R36 P7', 'versionType': 'custom'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': 'R33', 'lessThan': '*', 'versionType': 'custom'}], 'defaultStatus': 'unknown'}, {'vendor': 'F5', 'modules': ['map directive with regex matching'], 'product': 'NGINX Open Source', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '1.31.2', 'lessThan': '1.31.3', 'versionType': 'custom'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '0.9.6', 'lessThan': '1.30.4', 'versionType': 'custom'}], 'defaultStatus': 'unknown'}]
    Added Description A vulnerability exists in NGINX Plus and NGINX Open Source when a map directive uses regex matching and a string expression references the map's regex capture variables before referencing the map output variable. Alternatively, the same result could be achieved by using a non-cacheable variable in a string expression under certain conditions. An unauthenticated attacker along with conditions beyond their control can exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests. This may cause a heap buffer overflow in the NGINX worker process leading to a restart. Additionally, attackers can execute code on systems with Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) disabled or when the attacker can bypass ASLR. Impact: This vulnerability may allow remote attackers to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) on the NGINX system or to possibly trigger a code execution. There is no control plane exposure; this is a data plane issue only.  Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.
    Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
    Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    Added CWE CWE-122
    Added Reference https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K000162097
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.