CVE-2018-14644: powerdns recursor Improper Input Validation
Vulnerability summary
CVE-2018-14644 is a medium (CVSS 5.9) Improper Input Validation vulnerability in powerdns recursor. EPSS estimates a 4.84% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 92% of scored vulnerabilities.
Not severe (CVSS 5.3, network access); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources
Source freshness unavailable
How is this decided?Advisory lineage
Upstream 0 · Downstream 5 · Related 4Timeline
- 09-11-2018PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
- 05-08-2024Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.
Description
An issue has been found in PowerDNS Recursor from 4.0.0 up to and including 4.1.4. A remote attacker sending a DNS query for a meta-type like OPT can lead to a zone being wrongly cached as failing DNSSEC validation. It only arises if the parent zone is signed, and all the authoritative servers for that parent zone answer with FORMERR to a query for at least one of the meta-types. As a result, subsequent queries from clients requesting DNSSEC validation will be answered with a ServFail.
CVSS metrics
6 scores · 5 sources · 2 versions- CVE.orgCNA5.3MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:LDiffers
- OSV · UbuntuEcosystem advisory · calculated5.3MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:LDiffers
- OSV · DebianEcosystem advisory · calculated5.9MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- OSV · AlpineEcosystem advisory · calculated5.9MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
EPSS trend
Probability
4.84%
Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days
Percentile
92%
Versus all other CVEs
30-day change
No change 0.00 pp
From 4.84% on 05-10-2026
Known exploited
Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEVNot in the CISA KEV catalog.
ENISA CNWNot in the ENISA CNW catalog.
CIRCLNot in the CIRCL catalog.
Public exploits
0 foundNo public exploits indexed.
Weaknesses
CWE · root causeAffected systems
Known conditions: network-reachable, no authentication, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.
[unknown]1 product
- pdns4.0.9 | 4.1.5
Alpine1 product
- pdns-recursor< 4.1.7-r0 | < 4.0.9-r0 | < 4.1.8-r0
Debian1 product
- pdns-recursor< 4.1.7-1
Powerdns1 product
- recursor≥ 4.0.0, ≤ 4.1.4
Ubuntu1 product
- pdns-recursor< 4.0.0~alpha2-2ubuntu0.1+esm1 | < 4.1.1-2ubuntu0.1~esm1
5 vendors · 5 products
References
9 links- docs.powerdns.com/recursor/security-advisories/powerdns-advisory-2018-07.htmlX Refsource CONFIRMVendor Advisory
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2018-14644X Refsource CONFIRMIssue TrackingThird Party Advisory
