Heap overflow with multiple NSID, COOKIE, PADDING EDNS options
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- 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
- Partial Red Hat: 6 fixed, 2 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-787 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
NLnet Labs Unbound 1.14.0 up to and including version 1.25.0 has a vulnerability that results in heap overflow when encoding multiple NSID and/or DNS Cookie EDNS and/or EDNS Padding options in the reply packet. The relevant options ('nsid', 'answer-cookie', 'pad-responses' (default)) need to be enabled for the vulnerability to be exploited. An adversary who can query Unbound can exploit the vulnerability by attaching multiple NSID and/or DNS Cookie EDNS and/or EDNS Padding options to the query. A flaw in the size calculation of the EDNS field truncates the correct value which allows the encoder to overflow the available space when writing. Those two combined lead to a heap overflow write of Unbound controlled data and eventually a crash. Unbound 1.25.1 contains a patch with a fix to de-duplicate the EDNS options and a fix to prevent truncation of the EDNS field size calculation.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLnet Labs | Unbound | 1.14.0 to before 1.25.1 | 1.25.1 | Patch available | CNA |
- Unbound VendorNLnet Labs Affected 1.14.0 to before 1.25.1 Fixed in 1.25.1 Patch available CNA
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Unbound (NLnet Labs) Fixed in 1.25.1
Red Hat 4 advisories
- RHSA-2026:24369 Released 2026-06-08 · Red Hat rating Importantunbound security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) python3-unbound-1.24.2-3.el9_8.1, unbound-1.24.2-3.el9_8.1, unbound-dracut-1.24.2-3.el9_8.1 +1
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) unbound-devel-1.24.2-3.el9_8.1
- RHSA-2026:24365 Released 2026-06-08 · Red Hat rating Importantunbound security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 8) python3-unbound-1.16.2-5.11.el8_10, unbound-1.16.2-5.11.el8_10, unbound-devel-1.16.2-5.11.el8_10 +1
- RHSA-2026:23231 Released 2026-06-04 · Red Hat rating Importantunbound security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) python3-unbound-1.24.2-7.el10_2.1, unbound-1.24.2-7.el10_2.1, unbound-anchor-1.24.2-7.el10_2.1 +3
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) unbound-devel-1.24.2-7.el10_2.1
Show 1 more Red Hat advisories
- RHSA-2026:19752 Released 2026-05-20 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Hardened Images RPMs bug fix and enhancement update
- Red Hat Hardened Images python3-unbound-1.25.1-0.1.hum1@aarch64, python3-unbound-1.25.1-0.1.hum1@x86_64, unbound-1.25.1-0.1.hum1@aarch64 +14
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Release ·
NLnet Labs Unbound 1.25.1
11 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 3 MEDIUM, 8 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2026-25690 Possible arbitrary code execution during DNSSEC validationPriority MEDIUM 50
- TI-2026-31146 Crash during DNSSEC validation of malicious contentPriority MEDIUM 45
- TI-2026-32341 Unbounded name compression in certain cases causes degradation of servicePriority LOW 37
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:23231 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:24365 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:24369 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:23231 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:24369 |
| Red Hat Hardened Images | Fixed | RHSA-2026:19752 |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-42944
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-7mmq-q3m9-jrv7
References
More NLnet Labs vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-25690 Possible arbitrary code execution during DNSSEC validation CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.1
- TI-2026-56302 Heap buffer overflow and possible Remote Code Execution when digesting DNSKEY CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.1
- TI-2026-31146 Crash during DNSSEC validation of malicious content CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2026-36436 Routinator crashes on specifically crafted RRDP XML files CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2026-36433 Routinator exits when accepting an incoming HTTP or RTR connection fails CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2026-10532 Denial of DNS over TLS service by any DoT client CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
Sources
- CVE-2026-42944 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-42944 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-7mmq-q3m9-jrv7 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-42944 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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