CVE-2023-2828
named's configured cache size limit can be significantly exceeded
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- isc
Description
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.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| iscCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | High7.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.1 | High7.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 3.7% · top 10% of all CVEs (6 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: none · Automatable: yes · Technical impact: partial
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.5.
Weakness
Affected products
What to do
Solution: Upgrade to the patched release most closely related to your current version of BIND 9: 9.16.42, 9.18.16, 9.19.14, 9.16.42-S1, or 9.18.16-S1.
Workaround: No workarounds known.
Exploitation: We are not aware of any active exploits.
References (7)
- CVE-2023-2828 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_transferred
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/06/21/6 (opens in a new tab)x_transferred
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/U3K6AJK7RRSR53HRF5GGKPA6PDUDWOD2/ (opens in a new tab)x_transferred
- https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5439 (opens in a new tab)x_transferred
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/SEFCEVCTYEMKTWA7V7EYPI5YQQ4JWDLI/ (opens in a new tab)x_transferred
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230703-0010/ (opens in a new tab)x_transferred
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/07/msg00021.html (opens in a new tab)x_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2023-2828)Record last updated .