MAC OUI (Organizationally Unique Identifier) Regex for PHP
/^[0-9a-fA-F]{2}(?::[0-9a-fA-F]{2}){2}$/What this pattern does
This page provides a well-structured, multi-part regular expression for matching mac oui (organizationally unique identifier), ported and verified for PHP. A rigorously tested regex reduces debugging time and protects your application from edge-case failures. The snippet below is ready to drop into your PHP project — whether you're validating in a Laravel validator, a WordPress plugin, or a standalone PHP script.
Php Implementation
<?php
// MAC OUI (Organizationally Unique Identifier)
// ReDoS-safe | RegexVault — Web & Network > MAC Address
define('MAC_OUI_ORGANIZATIONALLY_UNIQUE_IDENTIFIER_PATTERN', '/^[0-9a-fA-F]{2}(?::[0-9a-fA-F]{2}){2}$/');
function validate_mac_oui_organizationally_unique_identifier(string $input): bool {
return (bool) preg_match(MAC_OUI_ORGANIZATIONALLY_UNIQUE_IDENTIFIER_PATTERN, $input);
}
// Example
var_dump(validate_mac_oui_organizationally_unique_identifier("00:1a:2b")); // bool(true)Test Cases
Matches (Valid) | Rejects (Invalid) |
|---|---|
00:1a:2b | 00:1a |
FF:FF:FF | 00:1a:2b:3c |
A0:B1:C2 | 00:1a:2b:3c:4d:5e |
00:50:56 | GG:HH:II |
DC:A6:32 | 001a2b |
When to use this pattern
This pattern is drawn from the Web & Network > MAC Address category and carries a ReDoS-safe certification. That matters for PHP developers because especially relevant in PHP where PCRE backtracking limits can trigger silent failures on malicious input. RegexVault audits patterns against known backtracking attack vectors, ensuring you have the necessary context before using this regex in a high-stakes production environment.
Common Pitfalls
Locally administered bits (bit 1 of the first byte) indicate the MAC was not assigned by a manufacturer — check the second-least-significant bit of the first octet.
Technical Notes
00:50:56 is VMware, DC:A6:32 is Raspberry Pi Foundation. OUI lookup databases (IEEE public registry) can identify vendors from this prefix.
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