Buffer overflow in F5 nginx Gateway Fabric

CVE-2026-42533

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.

Vulnerability class: Buffer Overflow

EPSS: 0.045 (90.8th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 8.1 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

Public proof-of-concept exploits

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-42533?
CVE-2026-42533 is a high-severity vulnerability in F5 nginx Gateway Fabric, classified under Heap-based Buffer Overflow. CVSS score: 8.1/10. Published 2026-07-15.
How severe is CVE-2026-42533?
High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 8.1 out of 10.
Is CVE-2026-42533 known to be exploited?
13 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.