re2
« Back to VersTracker
Description:
Alternative to backtracking PCRE-style regular expression engines
Type: Formula  |  Latest Version: 20251105@1  |  Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  @google  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Developer tools
Tags: regex regular-expressions c++ google security
Install: brew install re2
About:
RE2 is a fast, safe, linear-time regular expression engine developed by Google. Unlike backtracking engines, it guarantees predictable performance and is immune to catastrophic backtracking vulnerabilities. This makes it ideal for applications requiring high-throughput and secure pattern matching.
Key Features:
  • Guaranteed linear time execution
  • Memory safe and thread-safe
  • Supports Perl-like syntax
  • Minimal dependencies
Use Cases:
  • High-performance log processing and parsing
  • Security-sensitive input validation
  • Network traffic analysis
Alternatives:
  • PCRE – PCRE supports more features but lacks linear-time guarantees and is vulnerable to ReDoS.
  • Oniguruma – Oniguruma offers advanced features but is more complex and heavier than RE2.
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Jan 11, 2026 10:54am 20251105 1 REVISION_ONLY e697aa72
Sep 10, 2025 7:16pm 20250812 1 VERSION_BUMP 65f5eb60