FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.7.0"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0-b147)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 21.0-b17, mixed mode, sharing)

java version "1.6.0_25"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_25-b06)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 20.0-b11, mixed mode, sharing)



ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Microsoft Windows XP Professional Version 2002 Service Pack 3

Also occur under Linux, likely not a OS dependent bug

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
The pattern (<[^>]+> *)+$ searching for white-space separated HTML tags at the end of a document throws a StackOverFlow error if the input document has too many matches (eg, 500 tags in a row).

Same bug can be triggered with a pattern anchored at the beginning ^(<[^>]+> *)+

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
Compile and run the following code:

import java.util.regex.Pattern;
public class RegexBug3 {
public static final Pattern trailingTags = Pattern.compile("(<[^>]+> *)+$");
public static final Pattern leadingTags = Pattern.compile("^( *<[^>]+>)+");
public static void main(String[] args) {
StringBuilder longDocument = new StringBuilder("<b>");
for (int i = 0; i < 16; i++) {
if (trailingTags.matcher(longDocument).find()) {
// if (leadingTags.matcher(longDocument).find()) {
System.err.println("OK for document with "
+ (long) (Math.pow(2, i) + 0.5) + " tags");
}
longDocument.append(longDocument);
}
}
}

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
OK for document with 1 tags: ""
OK for document with 2 tags: ""
OK for document with 4 tags: ""
OK for document with 8 tags: ""
OK for document with 16 tags: ""
OK for document with 32 tags: ""
OK for document with 64 tags: ""
OK for document with 128 tags: ""
OK for document with 256 tags: ""
OK for document with 512 tags: ""
OK for document with 1024 tags: ""
OK for document with 2048 tags: ""
OK for document with 4096 tags: ""
OK for document with 8192 tags: ""
OK for document with 16384 tags: ""
OK for document with 32768 tags: ""

ACTUAL -
OK for document with 1 tags: ""
OK for document with 2 tags: ""
OK for document with 4 tags: ""
OK for document with 8 tags: ""
OK for document with 16 tags: ""
OK for document with 32 tags: ""
OK for document with 64 tags: ""
OK for document with 128 tags: ""
OK for document with 256 tags: ""
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.StackOverflowError
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$CharProperty.match(Pattern.java:3693)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$Curly.match(Pattern.java:4125)
    ...

ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.StackOverflowError
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$GroupHead.match(Pattern.java:4554)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$Loop.match(Pattern.java:4683)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$GroupTail.match(Pattern.java:4615)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$Curly.match0(Pattern.java:4177)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$Curly.match(Pattern.java:4132)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$BmpCharProperty.match(Pattern.java:3715)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$Curly.match0(Pattern.java:4177)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$Curly.match(Pattern.java:4132)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$BmpCharProperty.match(Pattern.java:3715)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$GroupHead.match(Pattern.java:4556)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$Loop.match(Pattern.java:4683)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$GroupTail.match(Pattern.java:4615)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$Curly.match0(Pattern.java:4177)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$Curly.match(Pattern.java:4132)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$BmpCharProperty.match(Pattern.java:3715)

etc, a total of about 1000 lines, ending on:

       at java.util.regex.Pattern$BmpCharProperty.match(Pattern.java:3715)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$GroupHead.match(Pattern.java:4556)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$Loop.match(Pattern.java:4683)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$GroupTail.match(Pattern.java:4615)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$Curly.match0(Pattern.java:4177)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$Curly.match(Pattern.java:4132)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$BmpCharProperty.match(Pattern.java:3715)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern$Curly.match0(Pattern.java:4177)


REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
import java.util.regex.Matcher;
import java.util.regex.Pattern;

public class RegexBug3 {
public static final Pattern trailingTags = Pattern.compile("(<[^>]+> *)+$");

public static void main(String[] args) {
StringBuilder longDocument = new StringBuilder("<b>");
Matcher m;
for (int i = 0; i < 16; i++) {
// next line triggers the bug
if ((m = trailingTags.matcher(longDocument)).find()) {
String prunedString = longDocument.toString().substring(0,
m.start());
System.err.println("OK for document with "
+ (long) (Math.pow(2, i) + 0.5) + " tags: \""
+ prunedString + "\"");
}
longDocument.append(longDocument);
}
}
}
---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
import java.util.regex.Matcher;
import java.util.regex.Pattern;

public class RegexBug4 {

// approach 1: apply pattern in a loop, limiting the number of matches
// very slow for long inputs, but does not crash
public static final Pattern trailingTags = Pattern
.compile("(<[^>]+> *){1,100}$");

public static void slow() {
StringBuilder longDocument = new StringBuilder("<b>");
Matcher m;
for (int i = 0; i < 16; i++) {
String prunedString = longDocument.toString();
while ((m = trailingTags.matcher(prunedString)).find()) {
prunedString = prunedString.substring(0, m.start());
}
if (prunedString.length() < longDocument.length()) {
System.err.println("OK for document with "
+ (long) (Math.pow(2, i) + 0.5) + " tags: \""
+ prunedString + "\"");
}
longDocument.append(longDocument);
}
}

// approach 2: reverse pattern and match from the beginning instead of the
// end and apply pattern in a loop, limiting the number of matches:
// does not crash, and much faster than matching from the end
public static final Pattern trailingTagsReversed = Pattern
.compile("^( *>[^<]+<){1,100}");

public static void fast() {
StringBuilder longDocument = new StringBuilder("<b>");
Matcher m;
for (int i = 0; i < 16; i++) {
String prunedStringReversed = (new StringBuilder(longDocument)).reverse().toString();
while ((m = trailingTagsReversed.matcher(prunedStringReversed))
.find()) {
prunedStringReversed = prunedStringReversed.substring(m.end());
}
if (prunedStringReversed.length() < longDocument.length()) {
System.err.println("OK for document with "
+ (long) (Math.pow(2, i) + 0.5) + " tags: \""
+ (new StringBuilder(prunedStringReversed)).reverse()
+ "\"");
}
longDocument.append(longDocument);
}
}

// run with optional argument "fast", everything else runs the slow version
public static void main(String[] args) {
if (args.length > 0 && "fast".equals(args[0])) {
fast();
} else {
slow();
}
}

}