8.1
HIGH CVSS 4.0
CVE-2026-9256
NGINX ngx_http_rewrite_module vulnerability
Description

NGINX Plus and NGINX Open Source have a vulnerability in the ngx_http_rewrite_module module. This vulnerability exists when a rewrite directive uses a regex pattern with distinct, overlapping Perl-Compatible Regular Expression (PCRE) captures (for example, ^/((.*))$) and a replacement string that references multiple such captures (for example, $1$2) in a redirect or arguments context. 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. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.

INFO

Published Date :

May 22, 2026, 2:11 p.m.

Last Modified :

May 22, 2026, 2:27 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

Yes !

Source :

f5
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-9256 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.

No affected product recoded yet

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 3.1 HIGH 9dacffd4-cb11-413f-8451-fbbfd4ddc0ab
CVSS 3.1 HIGH MITRE-CVE
CVSS 4.0 CRITICAL 9dacffd4-cb11-413f-8451-fbbfd4ddc0ab
Solution
Update NGINX to a version that addresses the rewrite module heap buffer overflow vulnerability.
  • Update NGINX Plus to the latest version.
  • Update NGINX Open Source to the latest version.
  • Review and fix rewrite rules with overlapping PCRE captures.
  • Disable ASLR if possible and not already enabled.

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-2026-9256 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-9256 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.

  • New CVE Received by [email protected]

    May. 22, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Description NGINX Plus and NGINX Open Source have a vulnerability in the ngx_http_rewrite_module module. This vulnerability exists when a rewrite directive uses a regex pattern with distinct, overlapping Perl-Compatible Regular Expression (PCRE) captures (for example, ^/((.*))$) and a replacement string that references multiple such captures (for example, $1$2) in a redirect or arguments context. 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. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.
    Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/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/K000161377
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.