Windows UNC Path Regex for PHP

What this pattern does

This page provides a comprehensive, battle-tested regular expression for matching windows unc path, 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
// Windows UNC Path
// ReDoS-checked | RegexVault — Dev & Systems > File Paths

define('WINDOWS_UNC_PATH_PATTERN', '/^\\{4}(?!\\)(?:[^\\\/:*?"<>|\r\n]+(?:\\{1,2}|\\/))+[^\\\/:*?"<>|\r\n]+$/');

function validate_windows_unc_path(string $input): bool {
    return (bool) preg_match(WINDOWS_UNC_PATH_PATTERN, $input);
}

// Example
var_dump(validate_windows_unc_path("\\\\server\\share")); // bool(true)

Test Cases

When to use this pattern

This pattern is drawn from the Dev & Systems > File Paths category and has been checked for ReDoS risk. 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

Technical Notes

Groups: 1=server name, 2=share name. Administrative shares end with $ (C$, ADMIN$). Avoid constructing UNC paths from user input — they can be used to capture NTLM hashes.