bind

A `named` instance configured to run as a DNSSEC-validating recursive resolver with the Aggressive Use of DNSSEC-Validated Cache (RFC 8198) option (`synth-from-dnssec`) enabled can be remotely terminated using a zone with a malformed NSEC record. This issue affects BIND 9 versions 9.16.8-S1 through 9.16.41-S1 and 9.18.11-S1 through 9.18.15-S1.

Every `named` instance configured to run as a recursive resolver maintains a cache database holding the responses to the queries it has recently sent to authoritative servers. The size limit for that cache database can be configured using the `max-cache-size` statement in the configuration file; it defaults to 90% of the total amount of memory available on the host. When the size of the cache reaches 7/8 of the configured limit, a cache-cleaning algorithm starts to remove expired and/or least-recently used RRsets from the cache, to keep memory use below the configured limit. It has been discovered that the effectiveness of the cache-cleaning algorithm used in `named` can be severely diminished by querying the resolver for specific RRsets in a certain order, effectively allowing the configured `max-cache-size` limit to be significantly exceeded. This issue affects BIND 9 versions 9.11.0 through 9.16.41, 9.18.0 through 9.18.15, 9.19.0 through 9.19.13, 9.11.3-S1 through 9.16.41-S1, and 9.18.11-S1 through 9.18.15-S1.

This issue can affect BIND 9 resolvers with `stale-answer-enable yes;` that also make use of the option `stale-answer-client-timeout`, configured with a value greater than zero. If the resolver receives many queries that require recursion, there will be a corresponding increase in the number of clients that are waiting for recursion to complete. If there are sufficient clients already waiting when a new client query is received so that it is necessary to SERVFAIL the longest waiting client (see BIND 9 ARM `recursive-clients` limit and soft quota), then it is possible for a race to occur between providing a stale answer to this older client and sending an early timeout SERVFAIL, which may cause an assertion failure. This issue affects BIND 9 versions 9.16.12 through 9.16.36, 9.18.0 through 9.18.10, 9.19.0 through 9.19.8, and 9.16.12-S1 through 9.16.36-S1.

BIND 9 resolver can crash when stale cache and stale answers are enabled, option `stale-answer-client-timeout` is set to a positive integer, and the resolver receives an RRSIG query. This issue affects BIND 9 versions 9.16.12 through 9.16.36, 9.18.0 through 9.18.10, 9.19.0 through 9.19.8, and 9.16.12-S1 through 9.16.36-S1.

Processing of repeated responses to the same query, where both responses contain ECS pseudo-options, but where the first is broken in some way, can cause BIND to exit with an assertion failure. 'Broken' in this context is anything that would cause the resolver to reject the query response, such as a mismatch between query and answer name. This issue affects BIND 9 versions 9.11.4-S1 through 9.11.37-S1 and 9.16.8-S1 through 9.16.36-S1.

Sending a flood of dynamic DNS updates may cause `named` to allocate large amounts of memory. This, in turn, may cause `named` to exit due to a lack of free memory. We are not aware of any cases where this has been exploited. Memory is allocated prior to the checking of access permissions (ACLs) and is retained during the processing of a dynamic update from a client whose access credentials are accepted. Memory allocated to clients that are not permitted to send updates is released immediately upon rejection. The scope of this vulnerability is limited therefore to trusted clients who are permitted to make dynamic zone changes. If a dynamic update is REFUSED, memory will be released again very quickly. Therefore it is only likely to be possible to degrade or stop `named` by sending a flood of unaccepted dynamic updates comparable in magnitude to a query flood intended to achieve the same detrimental outcome. BIND 9.11 and earlier branches are also affected, but through exhaustion of internal resources rather than memory constraints. This may reduce performance but should not be a significant problem for most servers. Therefore we don't intend to address this for BIND versions prior to BIND 9.16. This issue affects BIND 9 versions 9.16.0 through 9.16.36, 9.18.0 through 9.18.10, 9.19.0 through 9.19.8, and 9.16.8-S1 through 9.16.36-S1.

By sending specific queries to the resolver, an attacker can cause named to crash.

By spoofing the target resolver with responses that have a malformed EdDSA signature, an attacker can trigger a small memory leak. It is possible to gradually erode available memory to the point where named crashes for lack of resources.

By spoofing the target resolver with responses that have a malformed ECDSA signature, an attacker can trigger a small memory leak. It is possible to gradually erode available memory to the point where named crashes for lack of resources.

An attacker can leverage this flaw to gradually erode available memory to the point where named crashes for lack of resources. Upon restart the attacker would have to begin again, but nevertheless there is the potential to deny service.