If BIND encounters a particular invalid data structure in a DNS record, it will accept the invalid data, and may subsequently abort and exit.
BIND will first need to store a DNS record for a key (KEY, DNSKEY, etc.). That key must specify a PRIVATEDNS algorithm (253), and in the algorithm identifier, improperly give a length longer than the actual identifier data. The invalid identifier will be stored. If BIND later needs to render that record to text, it will use the invalid length during processing, leading to a consistency check failing. This issue affects BIND 9 versions 9.18.0 through 9.18.50, 9.20.0 through 9.20.24, 9.21.0 through 9.21.23, 9.18.11-S1 through 9.18.50-S1, and 9.20.9-S1 through 9.20.24-S1.
Weakness
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.
Extended Description
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.