re2: Global `String.prototype.match` with an empty-matchable pattern never advances → infinite loop with unbounded native memory growth (DoS)

## Summary `String.prototype.match` with a **global** `RE2` collects all matches in a native loop that advances the cursor by the match length. A **zero-width (empty) match** has length 0, so the cursor never advances: the same empty match is found forever and appended to an ever-growing native vector. Any pattern that can match the empty string (`a*`, `b?`, `x{0,3}`, `(a)|`, `(?:)`, …) therefore causes an infinite loop with unbounded memory growth. The call is synchronous native code, so it blocks the entire event loop and cannot be interrupted by `try/catch`, `AbortController`, `--max-old-space-size`, or timers — the process must be killed externally. This diverges from the built-in engine, where `'xxxx'.match(/a*/g)` returns a finite array. ## Root cause ```cpp // lib/match.cc:44 — global branch of WrappedRE2::Match while (re2->regexp.Match(str, byteIndex, str.size, anchor, &match, 1)) { groups.push_back(match); byteIndex = match.data() - str.data + match.size(); // += 0 for a zero-width match } ``` When `match.size() == 0`, `byteIndex` is unchanged, so the next iteration matches the same empty position again; `groups` grows without bound. The other iteration paths already guard this: `lib/split.cc:50-55` advances by `getUtf8CharSize` on an empty match, and `exec` advances `lastIndex`. Only this global `Match` loop is missing the guard. ## Proof of concept ```js const RE2 = require('re2'); 'x'.match(new RE2('a*', 'g')); // never returns; grows memory until OOM // also: 'b?', 'x{0,3}', '(a)|', 'c*d*', '(?:)'; empty subject '' triggers it too ``` Compare with the built-in engine, which terminates: ```js 'xxxx'.match(/a*/g); // -> ["", "", "", "", ""] ``` Measured on a clean `npm install [email protected]` (latest), stock prebuilt binary: resident memory grew **~550 MB → 2.3 GB in ~3 seconds** at 100% CPU, and the process had to be `SIGKILL`ed externally. ## Impact Denial of service. Reachable remotely and without authentication wherever an application runs a **global** `RE2` through `String.prototype.match` and either the pattern or the subject is attacker-influenced — e.g. a user-supplied regular expression, or a fixed empty-matchable pattern applied to user input. Because the loop blocks the event loop and exhausts memory in seconds, a single request can wedge a worker and, via memory exhaustion, affect the whole host. ## Suggested fix Mirror the empty-match handling already present in `split.cc`: when the match is zero-width, advance the cursor by one code point. ```cpp // lib/match.cc, inside the global while-loop groups.push_back(match); size_t off = match.data() - str.data; if (match.size()) { byteIndex = off + match.size(); } else { byteIndex = off + (off < str.size ? getUtf8CharSize(str.data[off]) : 1); } ``` ## Resolution Fixed in re2 1.25.2. The global match loop in `lib/match.cc` now advances the cursor by one Unicode code point when a match is zero-width, so a pattern that can match the empty string terminates with a finite result identical to the built-in engine (`'xxxx'.match(/a*/g)` returns five empty strings). This mirrors the guard already present in `split`. **Remediation:** upgrade to `[email protected]` or later. **Workaround** (if you cannot upgrade): do not run a global `RE2` through `String.prototype.match` when the pattern is attacker-influenced or can match the empty string. Iterate with `matchAll`/`exec`, or use the non-global form; both already advanced the cursor correctly.

Source published

31 Jul 2026 16:53:08 UTC

Source modified

31 Jul 2026 17:00:21 UTC

Observed here

24 Oct 2026 13:17:17 UTC

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GitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0

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CVSS_V3 · CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

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