CVE-2026-56416

In NLnet Labs Unbound up to and including version 1.25.1, when the validator builds the canonical RDATA form for an RRSIG-covered PX/RP/MINFO/SOA RRset, it computes the address of the second embedded domain name as 'datstart + dname_valid(datstart, ...)' and passes it straight to 'query_dname_tolower()' without checking that a second name is actually present in the RDATA. The wire-format parser accepts multi-dname RRs whose RDATA ends after the first name, so an attacker who runs a DNSSEC-signed authoritative server can deliver a record with an absent second domain name (e.g. SOA record) and cause 'query_dname_tolower()' to walk label-by-label through stale bytes in the per-worker 'env->scratch_buffer', past the end of that heap allocation if 'msg-buffer-size' has been lowered from the default. This leads to heap buffer overflow and on a release build the outcome relies heavily on the contents of the buffer tail and the adjacent heap chunk.

CVSS v3 4.8 MEDIUM

4.8^/10

CVSS v3 : MEDIUM

Vector :

Exploitability : 2.2 / Impact : 2.5

Attack Vector NETWORK

Attack Complexity HIGH

Privileges Required NONE

User Interaction NONE

Confidentiality Impact NONE

Integrity Impact LOW

Availability Impact LOW

Scope UNCHANGED

References

Link	Resource
https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/downloads/unbound/CVE-2026-56416.txt	Vendor Advisory

Configurations

Configuration 1 (hide)

cpe:2.3:a:nlnetlabs:unbound:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

History

24 Jul 2026, 14:25

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
CPE		cpe:2.3:a:nlnetlabs:unbound::::::::
First Time		Nlnetlabs Nlnetlabs unbound
References	~~() https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/downloads/unbound/CVE-2026-56416.txt -~~	() https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/downloads/unbound/CVE-2026-56416.txt - Vendor Advisory

22 Jul 2026, 14:17

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
New CVE

Information

Published : 2026-07-22 14:17

Updated : 2026-07-24 14:25

NVD link : CVE-2026-56416

Mitre link : CVE-2026-56416

CVE.ORG link : CVE-2026-56416

JSON object : View

Products Affected

nlnetlabs

unbound

CWE

CWE-354

Improper Validation of Integrity Check Value

{"id": "CVE-2026-56416", "cveTags": [], "metrics": {"ssvcV203": [{"source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0", "ssvcData": {"id": "CVE-2026-56416", "role": "CISA Coordinator", "options": [{"exploitation": "none"}, {"automatable": "no"}, {"technicalImpact": "partial"}], "version": "2.0.3", "timestamp": "2026-07-22T13:59:48.705600Z"}}], "cvssMetricV31": [{"type": "Secondary", "source": "sep@nlnetlabs.nl", "cvssData": {"scope": "UNCHANGED", "version": "3.1", "baseScore": 4.8, "attackVector": "NETWORK", "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM", "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L", "integrityImpact": "LOW", "userInteraction": "NONE", "attackComplexity": "HIGH", "availabilityImpact": "LOW", "privilegesRequired": "NONE", "confidentialityImpact": "NONE"}, "impactScore": 2.5, "exploitabilityScore": 2.2}]}, "affected": [{"source": "sep@nlnetlabs.nl", "affectedData": [{"vendor": "NLnet Labs", "product": "Unbound", "versions": [{"status": "affected", "version": "0", "lessThan": "1.25.2", "versionType": "semver"}], "defaultStatus": "unaffected"}]}], "published": "2026-07-22T14:17:22.090", "references": [{"url": "https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/downloads/unbound/CVE-2026-56416.txt", "tags": ["Vendor Advisory"], "source": "sep@nlnetlabs.nl"}], "vulnStatus": "Analyzed", "weaknesses": [{"type": "Secondary", "source": "sep@nlnetlabs.nl", "description": [{"lang": "en", "value": "CWE-354"}]}], "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "In NLnet Labs Unbound up to and including version 1.25.1, when the validator builds the canonical RDATA form for an RRSIG-covered PX/RP/MINFO/SOA RRset, it computes the address of the second embedded domain name as 'datstart + dname_valid(datstart, ...)' and passes it straight to 'query_dname_tolower()' without checking that a second name is actually present in the RDATA. The wire-format parser accepts multi-dname RRs whose RDATA ends after the first name, so an attacker who runs a DNSSEC-signed authoritative server can deliver a record with an absent second domain name (e.g. SOA record) and cause 'query_dname_tolower()' to walk label-by-label through stale bytes in the per-worker 'env->scratch_buffer', past the end of that heap allocation if 'msg-buffer-size' has been lowered from the default. This leads to heap buffer overflow and on a release build the outcome relies heavily on the contents of the buffer tail and the adjacent heap chunk."}], "lastModified": "2026-07-24T14:25:29.710", "configurations": [{"nodes": [{"negate": false, "cpeMatch": [{"criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:nlnetlabs:unbound:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "vulnerable": true, "matchCriteriaId": "9C01A425-F6D7-49A7-A72D-BF2159564DB6", "versionEndExcluding": "1.25.2"}], "operator": "OR"}]}], "sourceIdentifier": "sep@nlnetlabs.nl"}