A defect in code added to support QNAME minimization can cause named to exit with an assertion failure if a forwarder returns a referral rather than resolving the query. This affects BIND versions 9.14.0 up to 9.14.6, and 9.15.0 up to 9.15.4.
The product contains an assert() or similar statement that can be triggered by an attacker, which leads to an application exit or other behavior that is more severe than necessary.
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bind | Isc | 9.14.0 (including) | 9.14.6 (including) |
| Bind | Isc | 9.15.0 (including) | 9.15.4 (including) |
| Bind9 | Ubuntu | trusty | * |
While assertion is good for catching logic errors and reducing the chances of reaching more serious vulnerability conditions, it can still lead to a denial of service. For example, if a server handles multiple simultaneous connections, and an assert() occurs in one single connection that causes all other connections to be dropped, this is a reachable assertion that leads to a denial of service.