DNSSEC validation bypass in Hickory DNS via TrustAnchors
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- Present
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · Low · Low
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
Hickory DNS hickory-net 0.26.0-beta.1 before 0.26.2 and hickory-proto 0.24.0 through 0.26.0-alpha.1 compare DNSKEY public keys against DNSSEC trust anchors without checking the DNSKEY record name. Because of this missing check (CWE-1023), an RRset made only of trusted keys is accepted without RRSIG verification. A remote attacker able to spoof or control name server responses can replace a secure zone's DNSKEY RRset with the root zone's keys and use a large TTL to keep it cached.
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 0.24.0 through 0.26.0-alpha.1 compare DNSKEY public keys against DNSSEC trust anchors without checking the DNSKEY record name, so an RRset made up only of trusted keys is accepted without RRSIG verification. Attackers able to spoof or control name server responses can replace a secure zone's DNSKEY RRset with the root zone's keys, and use a large TTL to keep it cached.
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 | 0.24.0 – 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 0.24.0 – 0.26.0-alpha.1 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
Remediation
Upgrade hickory-net to 0.26.2, which fixes the range from 0.26.0-beta.1 before 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 LOW 36 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2026-86748 Resource exhaustion in hickory-dns recursor via glueless NS referralsPriority LOW 38
- TI-2026-86746 Unbounded retry loop in Hickory DNS resolver enables resource exhaustionPriority LOW 38
- TI-2026-86730 Denial of service in Hickory DNS recursive resolver via empty poolPriority LOW 38
Timeline
- 2026-11-08 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-123593
- 2026-11-08 Alias added: GHSA-fh93-8wxc-33gf
- 2026-11-09 Priority changed: MEDIUM → LOW
References
More hickory-dns vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-18857 DNSSEC validation may accept broken authentication chains CVSS 4.0MEDIUM 5.7
- TI-2026-63089 hickory-resolver before 0.26.2 DNSSEC Validation Bypass CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- 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-2026-86746 Unbounded retry loop in Hickory DNS resolver enables resource exhaustion CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
Sources
- CVE-2026-123593 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-123593 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-fh93-8wxc-33gf · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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