diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/compilers/config.py b/lib/spack/spack/compilers/config.py
index 8214428278b..476bf193433 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/compilers/config.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/compilers/config.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import os
 import re
 import sys
+import warnings
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple
 
 import archspec.cpu
@@ -337,7 +338,15 @@ def from_legacy_yaml(compiler_dict: Dict[str, Any]) -> List[spack.spec.Spec]:
             pkg_cls = spack.repo.PATH.get_pkg_class(pkg_name)
             pattern = re.compile(r"|".join(finder.search_patterns(pkg=pkg_cls)))
             filtered_paths = [x for x in candidate_paths if pattern.search(os.path.basename(x))]
-            detected = finder.detect_specs(pkg=pkg_cls, paths=filtered_paths)
+            try:
+                detected = finder.detect_specs(pkg=pkg_cls, paths=filtered_paths)
+            except Exception:
+                warnings.warn(
+                    f"[{__name__}] cannot detect {pkg_name} from the "
+                    f"following paths: {', '.join(filtered_paths)}"
+                )
+                continue
+
             for s in detected:
                 for key in ("flags", "environment", "extra_rpaths"):
                     if key in compiler_dict:
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/compilers/conversion.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/compilers/conversion.py
index 84ce07f5ded..d9312c55b18 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/compilers/conversion.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/compilers/conversion.py
@@ -83,3 +83,12 @@ def tests_compiler_conversion_modules(mock_compiler):
     compiler_spec = CompilerFactory.from_legacy_yaml(mock_compiler)[0]
     assert compiler_spec.external
     assert compiler_spec.external_modules == modules
+
+
+@pytest.mark.regression("49717")
+def tests_compiler_conversion_corrupted_paths(mock_compiler):
+    """Tests that compiler entries with corrupted path do not raise"""
+    mock_compiler["paths"] = {"cc": "gcc", "cxx": "g++", "fc": "gfortran", "f77": "gfortran"}
+    # Test this call doesn't raise
+    compiler_spec = CompilerFactory.from_legacy_yaml(mock_compiler)
+    assert compiler_spec == []