dnsmasq-utils 2.79-1 - 'dhcp_release' Denial of Service
Priority MEDIUM 64CWE-121Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- None
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Deferred Red Hat: fix deferred
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-121 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
Dnsmasq-utils 2.79-1 contains a buffer overflow vulnerability in the dhcp_release utility that allows attackers to cause a denial of service by supplying excessive input. Attackers can trigger a core dump and terminate the dhcp_release process by sending a crafted input string longer than 16 characters.
Why it matters now
Exploitation Proof of concept CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00207 10th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Public exploit Yes 1 exploit referenceTagged by the CNA
Fix Deferred Red Hat: fix deferred
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenStack Platform 18.0 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2020-37127
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-j2ph-f4fj-m4r3
References
Exploit 1
More dnsmasq vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-04261 A Denial of Service (DoS) vulnerability in the DNSSEC validation of dnsmasq allows remote… CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2026-04263 A heap-based out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the DHCPv6 implementation of dnsmasq… CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2026-04515 A buffer overflow in dnsmasq’s extract_addresses() function allows an attacker to trigger… CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.3
- TI-2026-04264 An information disclosure vulnerability in dnsmasq allows remote attackers to bypass… CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.3
- TI-2026-04262 A heap-based out-of-bounds read vulnerability in the DNSSEC validation of dnsmasq allows… CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.3
- TI-2026-01936 dnsmasqs extract_name() function can be abused to cause a heap buffer overflow, allowing… CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.3
Sources
- CVE-2020-37127 · CVE Program
- CVE-2020-37127 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-j2ph-f4fj-m4r3 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2020-37127 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences