An issue has been found in PowerDNS before 3.4.11 and 4.0.2, and PowerDNS recursor before 3.7.4 and 4.0.4, allowing a remote, unauthenticated attacker to cause an abnormal CPU usage load on the PowerDNS server by sending crafted DNS queries, which might result in a partial denial of service if the system becomes overloaded
Published Sep 11, 2018
7.5
HIGHCVSS 3.0
EPSS 7.29%
Description
An issue has been found in PowerDNS before 3.4.11 and 4.0.2, and PowerDNS recursor before 3.7.4 and 4.0.4, allowing a remote, unauthenticated attacker to cause an abnormal CPU usage load on the PowerDNS server by sending crafted DNS queries, which might result in a partial denial of service if the system becomes overloaded. This issue is based on the fact that the PowerDNS server parses all records present in a query regardless of whether they are needed or even legitimate. A specially crafted query containing a large number of records can be used to take advantage of that behaviour.
Affected products
-
- Version 3.4.11StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version 3.7.4StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version 4.0.2StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version 4.0.4StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open-Xchange | Pdns | n/a |
|
Configuration 1
- < 3.4.11
- ≥ 4.0.0 · < 4.0.2
- < 3.7.4
- ≥ 4.0.0 · < 4.0.4
Configuration 2
- 8.0
No data.
No Red Hat product state for this CVE.
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
No remediation recorded yet.
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0 score for this CVE.
No CVSS v3.1 score for this CVE.
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
1 other source (Red Hat) ▾
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C
This CVE is not in the KEV list.
No CISA SSVC assessment for this CVE yet.
Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 1, 2026.
Score over time
2022–2026- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Percentile over time
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Table of values (13 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | 7.29% (0.07294) | 94.18th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jun 15, 2026 | 7.29% (0.07294) | 93.55th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Mar 17, 2025 | 0.08% (0.00077) | 20.53th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Dec 12, 2024 | 0.89% (0.00890) | 83.31th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| May 23, 2024 | 0.89% (0.00890) | 82.61th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Sep 5, 2023 | 0.89% (0.00890) | 80.60th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jul 18, 2023 | 0.76% (0.00762) | 78.78th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jul 8, 2023 | 1.05% (0.01050) | 82.01th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 7, 2023 | 0.74% (0.00742) | 77.93th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 6, 2023 | 1.21% (0.01213) | 66.61th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 17, 2023 | 1.21% (0.01213) | 66.22th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Apr 1, 2022 | 1.21% (0.01213) | 64.21th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 4, 2022 | 1.21% (0.01213) | 40.54th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
References (4)
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2016-7068 x_refsource_CONFIRMIssue TrackingThird Party Advisory
- https://doc.powerdns.com/md/security/powerdns-advisory-2016-02/ x_refsource_CONFIRMVendor Advisory
- https://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3763 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_DEBIANThird Party Advisory
- https://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3764 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_DEBIANThird Party Advisory
| Link | Providers | Tags |
|---|---|---|
| https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2016-7068 | x_refsource_CONFIRMIssue TrackingThird Party Advisory | |
| https://doc.powerdns.com/md/security/powerdns-advisory-2016-02/ | x_refsource_CONFIRMVendor Advisory | |
| https://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3763 | vendor-advisoryx_refsource_DEBIANThird Party Advisory | |
| https://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3764 | vendor-advisoryx_refsource_DEBIANThird Party Advisory |
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.