DNSSEC validation bypass in Hickory DNS via missing RFC 6840 checks
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Attack requirements
- Present
- 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-345.
Summary
Hickory DNS hickory-net from 0.26.0-beta.1 before 0.26.2 and hickory-proto through 0.26.0-alpha.1 are affected. They fail to verify, as RFC 6840 requires, that an NSEC or NSEC3 record denying a DS record also proves the delegation's NS record exists (CWE-345). A remote attacker without privileges or user interaction can reuse child-side NSEC or NSEC3 records to fake an insecure delegation and forge child-zone records.
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 fail to verify, per RFC 6840 §4.4, that an NSEC or NSEC3 record denying a DS RRset also proves the delegation's NS record exists. Attackers can reuse child-side NSEC or NSEC3 records to fake an insecure delegation and forge child-zone records.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| hickory-dns | hickory-dns | 0.26.0-beta.1 to before 0.26.2 | 0.26.2 | Patch available | CNA |
| hickory-dns | hickory-dns | up to 0.26.0-alpha.1 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- 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 0.26.2, which fixes this flaw. 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
- 2026-11-08 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-123591
- 2026-11-08 Alias added: GHSA-6fg5-mp7g-rgj8
References
More hickory-dns vulnerabilities
- 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
Sources
- CVE-2026-123591 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-123591 · NVD
- GHSA-6fg5-mp7g-rgj8 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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