# Jenkins throws java.util.regex.PatternSyntaxException in Logs **URL:** \ **Category:** Ask a question\ **Created:** [October 21, 2025, 6:20pm UTC](https://community.jenkins.io/t/jenkins-throws-java-util-regex-patternsyntaxexception-in-logs/35749 "2025-10-21T18:20:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nullpointerexception](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.jenkins.io/nullpointerexception/32/17697_2.png) [@nullpointerexception](https://community.jenkins.io/u/nullpointerexception)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 6:20pm UTC](https://community.jenkins.io/t/jenkins-throws-java-util-regex-patternsyntaxexception-in-logs/35749/1 "2025-10-21T18:20:44Z")
Jenkins setup: Jenkins: 2.516.3 OS: Linux - 5.15.0-1096-azure Java: 21.0.8 - Eclipse Adoptium (OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM) Office-365-Connector:5.2.0 allure-jenkins-plugin:2.32.0 ansicolor:1.0.6 antisamy-markup-formatter:173.v680e3a\_b\_69ff3 apache-httpcomponents-client-4-api:4.5.14-269.vfa\_2321039a\_83 apache-httpcomponents-client-5-api:5.5-170.v023de017ccd7 asm-api:9.8-163.vb\_2a\_96d3f9c3c authentication-tokens:1.144.v5ff4a\_5ec5c33 authorize-project:2.0.0 basic-branch-build-strategies:275.vde2351b\_4a\_58b\_ bootstrap5-api:5.3.8-890.v1c5cf4fa\_178e bouncycastle-api:2.30.1.81-264.v95c79c0e772c branch-api:2.1253.v6e7f7519f710 byte-buddy-api:1.17.7-181.ve4f4387cb\_a\_86 caffeine-api:3.2.2-178.v353b\_8428ed56 checks-api:373.vfe7645102093 cloudbees-folder:6.1045.vb\_ddd55e2d03f command-launcher:123.v37cfdc92ef67 commons-compress-api:1.28.0-1 commons-lang3-api:3.18.0-98.v3a\_674c06072d commons-text-api:1.14.0-194.v804a\_dc3a\_1b\_d8 configuration-as-code:1995.v540b\_50a\_eb\_0c1 credentials:1447.v4cb\_b\_539b\_5321 credentials-binding:702.vfe613e537e88 database:274.vea\_2e859b\_2661 database-postgresql:146.vd1a\_f70b\_56e0e dependency-track:6.0.2 disable-github-multibranch-status:1.2 display-url-api:2.217.va\_6b\_de84cc74b\_ durable-task:605.v9a\_b\_9040c9970 echarts-api:6.0.0-1146.v5c8f3b\_8f0573 eddsa-api:0.3.0.1-19.vc432d923e5ee font-awesome-api:7.0.1-859.v128d3a\_efb\_6e5 git:5.7.0 git-client:6.4.0 github:1.45.0 github-api:1.330-492.v3941a\_032db\_2a\_ github-branch-source:1864.v411feec5e78e github-checks:634.v371dc6d978a\_3 github-pr-comment-build:134.ve7ff0b\_719821 gson-api:2.13.2-173.va\_a\_092315913c hashicorp-vault-plugin:371.v884a\_4dd60fb\_6 instance-identity:203.v15e81a\_1b\_7a\_38 ionicons-api:94.vcc3065403257 jackson2-api:2.20.0-411.v6ef8fdee4fe9 jakarta-activation-api:2.1.3-2 jakarta-mail-api:2.1.3-3 javax-activation-api:1.2.0-8 javax-mail-api:1.6.2-11 jaxb:2.3.9-133.vb\_ec76a\_73f706 jdk-tool:83.v417146707a\_3d jjwt-api:0.11.5-120.v0268cf544b\_89 job-dsl:1.93 joda-time-api:2.14.0-149.v1c3ce991d1b\_9 jquery3-api:3.7.1-594.vb\_3864f326cf0 json-api:20250517-173.v596efb\_962a\_31 json-path-api:2.9.0-190.veefca\_05d5477 junit:1355.v45e2ea\_65863c kubernetes:4371.vb\_33b\_086d54a\_1 kubernetes-client-api:7.3.1-256.v788a\_0b\_787114 kubernetes-credentials:206.vde31a\_b\_0f71a\_c mailer:522.va\_995fa\_cfb\_8b\_d matrix-auth:3.2.8 matrix-project:858.vb\_b\_eb\_9a\_7ea\_99e metrics:4.2.33-484.v2fcd689980d1 mina-sshd-api-common:2.16.0-167.va\_269f38cc024 mina-sshd-api-core:2.16.0-167.va\_269f38cc024 multibranch-action-triggers:1.8.10 oic-auth:4.609.v9de140f63d01 okhttp-api:4.12.0-195.vc02552c04ffd opentelemetry-api:1.49.0.82.vf56234f0d9c1 pipeline-build-step:571.v08a\_fffd4b\_0ce pipeline-graph-analysis:245.v88f03631a\_b\_21 pipeline-groovy-lib:763.v13008816b\_de7 pipeline-input-step:534.v352f0a\_e98918 pipeline-milestone-step:138.v78ca\_76831a\_43 pipeline-model-api:2.2273.v643f36ed9e94 pipeline-model-definition:2.2273.v643f36ed9e94 pipeline-model-extensions:2.2273.v643f36ed9e94 pipeline-rest-api:2.38 pipeline-stage-step:322.vecffa\_99f371c pipeline-stage-tags-metadata:2.2273.v643f36ed9e94 pipeline-stage-view:2.38 pipeline-utility-steps:2.20.0 plain-credentials:199.v9f8e1f741799 plugin-util-api:6.1167.v022176c7e0ca\_ postgresql-api:42.7.7-67.v70a\_30b\_84f58b\_ prism-api:1.30.0-609.vf0a\_df102d9a\_f remote-file:1.24 role-strategy:799.v5b\_e7b\_ecc231e scm-api:709.v6c27075a\_b\_1c7 scmskip:82.v24fc1c6f381b\_ script-security:1378.vf25626395f49 simple-theme-plugin:211.v5424a\_5510e47 snakeyaml-api:2.3-125.v4d77857a\_b\_402 ssh-credentials:361.vb\_f6760818e8c ssh-slaves:3.1071.v0d059c7b\_c555 sshd:3.353.v2b\_d33c46e970 structs:353.v261ea\_40a\_80fb\_ token-macro:477.vd4f0dc3cb\_cf1 trilead-api:2.209.v0e69b\_c43c245 uno-choice:2.8.8 variant:70.va\_d9f17f859e0 workflow-aggregator:608.v67378e9d3db\_1 workflow-api:1384.vdc05a\_48f535f workflow-basic-steps:1098.v808b\_fd7f8cf4 workflow-cps:4204.v2894b\_cd7b\_92f workflow-durable-task-step:1464.v2d3f5c68f84c workflow-job:1546.v62a\_c59c112dd workflow-multibranch:821.vc3b\_4ea\_780798 workflow-scm-step:452.vdf1ca\_c8d3a\_87 workflow-step-api:706.v518c5dcb\_24c0 workflow-support:989.va\_20a\_1a\_57710a\_ I’m running Jenkins LTS on Kubernetes, using the Organization Folder plugin (Multibranch), JCasC for configuration, and my secrets are stored as Kubernetes secrets. Our pipelines use credentials binding, and we trigger builds via GitHub webhooks. All plugins are up to date. I frequently see the following exception in the Jenkins logs, even when no pipeline is running and Jenkins is otherwise “idle” (e.g., only organization scans or webhooks are being processed): `14091-2025-10-21 18:11:24.183+0000 [id=53323] WARNING o.j.p.w.s.d.DurableTaskStep$Execution#run` `14092:java.util.regex.PatternSyntaxException: Illegal repetition near index 1` `14093-[LF]> {AQAAABAAAQoQc5Rrl3D3MI9K0kQjxm0jEv8AAkYdfA2W46vYB15QWzS57Hmm8qu6AqvDfd+y0chrCXKntRnOL3UlOFLLvH+V8YJmZrmEpv+gFnoaZRIseykPs3dGazPHYWzb0lqG5ysLLk1Zv183TjTBVs5rwNxRsKEjBuYQkqxcB1x7/DffeqFdaF5ySGgnkm4K6F5wAkLodHDTyUA/USz71hM9Yz8pSYMeBh8Q9NJUlM` …`} ` `14094-[LF]> ^` `14095- at java.base/java.util.regex.Pattern.error(Unknown Source)` `14096- at java.base/java.util.regex.Pattern.closure(Unknown Source)` `14097- at java.base/java.util.regex.Pattern.sequence(Unknown Source)` `14098- at java.base/java.util.regex.Pattern.expr(Unknown Source)` `14099- at java.base/java.util.regex.Pattern.compile(Unknown Source)` `14100- at java.base/java.util.regex.Pattern.(Unknown Source)` `14101- at java.base/java.util.regex.Pattern.compile(Unknown Source)` `14102- at PluginClassLoader for credentials-binding//org.jenkinsci.plugins.credentialsbinding.impl.BindingStep$Filter.lambda$decorateLogger$0(BindingStep.java:250)` What i’ve checked so far: **Plugins:** All Jenkins and plugins are up to date. **credentials.xml \:** My credentials.xml only contains Jenkins-encrypted secrets (expected). **Mask Passwords plugin:** Not installed. The error always references a string starting with `{AQAA...}`, which I understand is Jenkins’ encrypted secret format. The error is thrown from credentials-binding masking logic, but I cannot find any source in my configuration that would be contributing this ciphertext as a mask.It happens during org scans/webhook processing — not only during pipeline execution. What could be contributing Jenkins-encrypted secrets (`{AQAA...}`) as patterns to the credentials-binding masking filter when Jenkins is idle? Are there plugins or global config sources that could be feeding these ciphertexts into the masking filter at runtime, even if not written to disk? And also, how can I track down the exact source of the bad mask being compiled as a regex? Any help or pointers would be greatly appreciated! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![nullpointerexception](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.jenkins.io/nullpointerexception/32/17697_2.png) [@nullpointerexception](https://community.jenkins.io/u/nullpointerexception)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2025, 6:59pm UTC](https://community.jenkins.io/t/jenkins-throws-java-util-regex-patternsyntaxexception-in-logs/35749/2 "2025-10-29T18:59:40Z")
Just wanted to bump this — still seeing the same issue. Any Jenkins maintainers or users with experience in `credentials-binding` internals might have hints where to look? Thanks in advance! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![NAVRockClimber](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.jenkins.io/navrockclimber/32/18362_2.png) [@NAVRockClimber](https://community.jenkins.io/u/NAVRockClimber)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2025, 7:23pm UTC](https://community.jenkins.io/t/jenkins-throws-java-util-regex-patternsyntaxexception-in-logs/35749/3 "2025-11-26T19:23:04Z")
Same here! The variation in length of the token seems to be some cascading effect. I see the string (a token I assume) getting longer and longer. Have you been able to identify the source or even solve the issue? ---
**Author:** ![nullpointerexception](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.jenkins.io/nullpointerexception/32/17697_2.png) [@nullpointerexception](https://community.jenkins.io/u/nullpointerexception)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2025, 6:11am UTC](https://community.jenkins.io/t/jenkins-throws-java-util-regex-patternsyntaxexception-in-logs/35749/4 "2025-11-27T06:11:25Z")
Actually, yes — I discovered this by accident. The problem only occurred when Jenkins tried to resume pipelines after an unplanned shutdown while using the Kubernetes plugin. Some builds in the build history still showed as running (the spinning blue indicator), but those were actually the jobs that had been interrupted by the unexpected shutdown (our Jenkins controller was running out of RAM). They didn’t appear on the dashboard or under the nodes/build queue, so I was under the impression that they are no Jobs running. But then I went through every single organization folder pipeline that we have and then I found some abnormalities in the build history - It seems there were some jobs still marked as “Running,” even though they were actually old runs from quite a while ago. Jenkins attempted to resume those builds but failed because the ephemeral pods created by the Kubernetes plugin via the podTemplate had already been removed. I fixed the issue by manually aborting the stuck pipelines and setting the pipeline durability setting to “Fastest”; that appears to have resolved it as I no longer get those regex exceptions in the log. ---
**Author:** ![NAVRockClimber](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.jenkins.io/navrockclimber/32/18362_2.png) [@NAVRockClimber](https://community.jenkins.io/u/NAVRockClimber)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2025, 1:30pm UTC](https://community.jenkins.io/t/jenkins-throws-java-util-regex-patternsyntaxexception-in-logs/35749/5 "2025-11-27T13:30:23Z")
Thank you, this helped a lot getting the issue resolved fast.