CVE-2026-12969: redhat enterprise_linux Out-of-bounds Read

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2026-12969 is a medium (CVSS 5.3) Out-of-bounds Read vulnerability in redhat enterprise_linux. EPSS estimates a 0.24% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 14% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 23-06-2026
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 31-08-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

An out-of-bounds read vulnerability exists in dnsmasq's find_soa() function in src/rfc1035.c. When parsing NS section records, extract_name() is called with extrabytes=0, failing to validate that 10 additional bytes exist for fixed-length DNS record fields. A remote attacker controlling a DNS zone can exploit this via a crafted NXDOMAIN response to cause a 10-byte heap out-of-bounds read, potentially accessing stale data from prior transactions.

• CWE-125Out-of-bounds ReadThe product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.