CVE Vulnerabilities

CVE-2016-6172

Uncontrolled Resource Consumption

Published: Sep 26, 2016 | Modified: Apr 12, 2025
CVSS 3.x
6.8
MEDIUM
Source:
NVD
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVSS 2.x
7.1 HIGH
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C
RedHat/V2
RedHat/V3
Ubuntu
MEDIUM

PowerDNS (aka pdns) Authoritative Server before 4.0.1 allows remote primary DNS servers to cause a denial of service (memory exhaustion and secondary DNS server crash) via a large (1) AXFR or (2) IXFR response.

Weakness

The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.

Affected Software

Name Vendor Start Version End Version
Leap Opensuse 42.1 (including) 42.1 (including)
Opensuse Opensuse 13.2 (including) 13.2 (including)
Pdns Ubuntu artful *
Pdns Ubuntu esm-apps/xenial *
Pdns Ubuntu precise *
Pdns Ubuntu trusty *
Pdns Ubuntu upstream *
Pdns Ubuntu wily *
Pdns Ubuntu xenial *
Pdns Ubuntu yakkety *
Pdns Ubuntu zesty *

Potential Mitigations

  • Mitigation of resource exhaustion attacks requires that the target system either:

  • The first of these solutions is an issue in itself though, since it may allow attackers to prevent the use of the system by a particular valid user. If the attacker impersonates the valid user, they may be able to prevent the user from accessing the server in question.

  • The second solution is simply difficult to effectively institute – and even when properly done, it does not provide a full solution. It simply makes the attack require more resources on the part of the attacker.

References