hickory-dns: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition
CVE-2026-123604 is a high-severity loop with unreachable exit condition vulnerability in hickory-dns, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists version 0.26.2 as the first without the flaw, so updating hickory-dns to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.34% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update hickory-dns to 0.26.2 or a later version.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hickory-dns | hickory-dns | 0.26.0-beta.1 up to, but not including, 0.26.2 | 0.26.2 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- NoneNo data is disclosed.
- Integrity
- NoneNothing can be modified.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. Scored by CNA (vulncheck.com).
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | 8.7 | High | CNA (vulncheck.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.5 | High | CNA (vulncheck.com) |
Official description
Hickory DNS hickory-resolver 0.26.0-beta.1 before 0.26.2 contains an unbounded retry loop in NameServerPool::try_send, which re-queues truncated (TC) responses without checking the answering transport or counting iterations. A malicious authoritative server returning TC=1 on every transport keeps the resolver spinning on a persistent TCP connection until the 5-second request deadline expires, causing resource exhaustion.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition
The product contains an iteration or loop with an exit condition that cannot be reached, i.e., an infinite loop.
More Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition vulnerabilities (CWE-835)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other references
Other vulnerabilities in hickory-dns
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Recent Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition vulnerabilities
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