file before 5.19 does not properly restrict the amount of data read during a regex search, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial…

Description

file before 5.19 does not properly restrict the amount of data read during a regex search, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via a crafted file that triggers backtracking during processing of an awk rule. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2013-7345.

Scores

EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)

11.8% · top 3.9% of all CVEs (4 Nov 2026)

The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 5.0.

Weakness

• n/a
• CWE-399 (opens in a new tab)All about CWE-399 and its CVEs

Affected products

• n/a

  • affected n/a

References (22)

• https://github.com/file/file/commit/74cafd7de9ec99a14f4480927580e501c8f852c3 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• https://github.com/file/file/commit/71a8b6c0d758acb0f73e2e51421a711b5e9d6668 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• https://support.apple.com/HT204659 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinapr2016-2952096.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• RHSA-2014:1766 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHATx_transferred
• DSA-3021 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_DEBIANx_transferred
• https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1098222 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• RHSA-2016:0760 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHATx_transferred
• 68348 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
• https://github.com/file/file/commit/4a284c89d6ef11aca34da65da7d673050a5ea320 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpuoct2017-3236626.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinoct2015-2719645.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• [oss-security] 20140630 changing CVE ID for RH Bugzilla 1098222 (from CVE-2014-0235) (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
• [file] 20140612 file-5.19 is now available (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
• APPLE-SA-2015-04-08-2 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_APPLEx_transferred
• DSA-3008 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_DEBIANx_transferred
• RHSA-2014:1327 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHATx_transferred
• http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/bulletinjan2015-2370101.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• RHSA-2014:1765 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHATx_transferred
• https://github.com/file/file/commit/69a5a43b3b71f53b0577f41264a073f495799610 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• 60696 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
• https://github.com/file/file/commit/758e066df72fb1ac08d2eea91ddc3973d259e991 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred

Sources

The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.

• CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
• CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
• NVD (opens in a new tab)
• FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
• OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
• GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
• CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)

Badge for a README or a ticket

[![CVE-2014-3538](https://trackcve.app/badge/CVE-2014-3538.svg)](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2014-3538)

Record last updated 6 Aug 2024, 10:50 UTC.