NGINX Map directive and Regex matching vulnerability
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-42533 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | f5 |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-07-15 15:16:33 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-07-16 05:16:19 UTC |
| 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. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v4.0 9.2 CRITICAL from [email protected]
CVSS:4.0/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
EPSS: 0.008300000 probability, percentile 0.535360000 (date 2026-07-20)
Problem Types: CWE-122 | CWE-122 CWE-122 Heap-based Buffer Overflow
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | [email protected] | Secondary | 9.2 | CRITICAL | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/C... |
| 4.0 | CNA | CVSS | 9.2 | CRITICAL | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N |
| 3.1 | [email protected] | Secondary | 8.1 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| 3.1 | CNA | CVSS | 8.1 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
CVSS v4.0 Breakdown
CVSS:4.0/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
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | F5 | NGINX Plus | affected 37.0.0.1 37.0.3.1 custom | Not specified |
| CNA | F5 | NGINX Plus | affected R36 R36 P7 custom | Not specified |
| CNA | F5 | NGINX Plus | affected R33 * custom | Not specified |
| CNA | F5 | NGINX Open Source | affected 1.31.2 1.31.3 custom | Not specified |
| CNA | F5 | NGINX Open Source | affected 0.9.6 1.30.4 custom | Not specified |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K000162097 | [email protected] | my.f5.com | |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
Vendor Comments And Credit
Discovery Credit
CNA: F5 acknowledges Ming Xuan, DKD (@pidifn), Ji'an Zhou, and Zhen Yan of AntAISecurityLab, Rafael Gacek, Sergii Negodiuk of EVO.company, Lam Jun Rong of Calif.io, Mufeed VH of Winfunc Research (winfunc.com), Vexera AI (https://vexera.ai), Tu Tran Dinh (@1w4y), Stan Shaw (cyberstan), qianshuidewajueji, zenneth (randomguy6407), Zhenpeng (Leo) Lin of depthfirst, Lukas Johannes Moeller, Melih Tolga Sahin of Vodafone Türkiye, Ayoub Nabil Boubagrat (GitHub: @ayoubnabil), and Milan Jovic (Kljunowsky) for independently bringing this issue to our attention and following the highest standards of coordinated disclosure. (en)