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Hickory DNS accepts forged DNSSEC nonexistence proofs via NSEC3

Priority MEDIUM 53CWE-290Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Attack requirements
None
Impact type
Security bypass
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
None · High · None
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-290.

Summary

Hickory DNS hickory-net from 0.26.0-beta.1 before 0.26.2 and hickory-proto through 0.26.0-alpha.1 check NSEC3 record names insufficiently during DNSSEC verification. The checks compare only the hashed label and do not confirm that the record belongs to the correct zone (CWE-290). A remote attacker without privileges can supply NSEC3 records from another zone with a matching hash label to forge DNSSEC nonexistence proofs.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-08

Description from the CNA

Hickory DNS hickory-net 0.26.0-beta.1 before 0.26.2 and hickory-proto through 0.26.0-alpha.1 perform insufficient checks on NSEC3 record names during DNSSEC verification, comparing only the hashed label without confirming the record belongs to the correct zone. Attackers can supply NSEC3 records from another zone with a matching hash label to forge DNSSEC nonexistence proofs.

Why it matters now

Fix Fixed hickory-dns (hickory-dns): 0.26.2

SSVC decision points

Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
hickory-dnshickory-dns0.26.0-beta.1 to before 0.26.20.26.2Patch availableCNA
hickory-dnshickory-dnsup to 0.26.0-alpha.1—No fix listedCNA
  • hickory-dns Vendorhickory-dns Affected 0.26.0-beta.1 to before 0.26.2 Fixed in 0.26.2 Patch available CNA
  • hickory-dns Vendorhickory-dns Affected up to 0.26.0-alpha.1 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA

Remediation

Upgrade hickory-net to version 0.26.2. The sources list no fixed version for hickory-proto.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-08

  • Fix · CNA hickory-dns (hickory-dns) Fixed in 0.26.2

Fixed in the same release

Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.

  • Release ·

    hickory-dns 0.26.2

    36 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 36 MEDIUM

    Other records, highest priority first

    • TI-2026-86729 DNSSEC nonexistence forgery in Hickory DNS via wraparound NSECPriority MEDIUM 54
    • TI-2026-86748 Resource exhaustion in hickory-dns recursor via glueless NS referralsPriority MEDIUM 53
    • TI-2026-86747 DNSSEC validation bypass in Hickory DNS via RRSIG signer namePriority MEDIUM 53

Timeline

  1. 2026-11-08 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-123580
  2. 2026-11-08 Alias added: GHSA-wgx4-v7mx-crxr

References

  • TI-2025-18857 DNSSEC validation may accept broken authentication chains CVSS 4.0MEDIUM 5.7
  • TI-2026-86729 DNSSEC nonexistence forgery in Hickory DNS via wraparound NSEC CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.9
  • TI-2026-86750 CPU exhaustion in Hickory DNS hickory-proto via BinEncoder name compression CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
  • TI-2026-86749 Hickory DNS NSEC3 validation loop enables denial of service CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
  • TI-2026-86748 Resource exhaustion in hickory-dns recursor via glueless NS referrals CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
  • TI-2026-86747 DNSSEC validation bypass in Hickory DNS via RRSIG signer name CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
See all 40 →

Sources