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BindApplication · Isc

CVE-2023-5680

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-02-13
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
62/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
If a resolver cache has a very large number of ECS records stored for the same name, the process of cleaning the cache database node for this name can significantly impair query performance. This issue affects BIND 9 versions 9.11.3-S1 through 9.11.37-S1, 9.16.8-S1 through 9.16.45-S1, and 9.18.11-S1 through 9.18.21-S1.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

This is a performance DoS vulnerability in BIND 9's resolver cache. When the cache contains a very large number of EDNS Client Subnet (ECS) records for the same domain name, the cache cleanup process for that database node causes significant query performance degradation, effectively slowing DNS resolution during cache maintenance operations.

MitigationUpgrade BIND 9 to a patched version (beyond 9.11.37-S1, 9.16.45-S1, or 9.18.21-S1) or apply vendor patches. Monitor resolver performance during cache operations as a temporary indicator.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
BindApplication
Affected:= 9.11.3= 9.11.4= 9.11.5= 9.11.6= 9.11.7= 9.11.8= 9.11.12= 9.11.21= 9.11.27= 9.11.29= 9.11.35= 9.11.37
Active Iq Unified ManagerApplication
Affected:all versions

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
Low

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed BIND 9 version
    Run `named -v` or `bind -v` to retrieve the BIND version, or check via package manager (e.g., `rpm -q bind` or `dpkg -l bind9`). Compare the version number to the affected list: 9.11.3, 9.11.4, 9.11.5, 9.11.6, 9.11.7, 9.11.8, 9.11.12, 9.11.21, 9.11.27, 9.11.29, 9.11.35, 9.11.37.
    Affected if The installed BIND version matches one of the listed affected versions.
  2. Verify if BIND resolver is in use
    Check if named.conf contains a 'resolver' or 'recursion yes' statement, or if the server is functioning as a recursive resolver. Look for `recursion yes;` in named.conf or check process flags.
    Affected if The server is configured as a recursive resolver with caching enabled.
  3. Confirm EDNS Client Subnet (ECS) is enabled
    Inspect named.conf for 'edns-client-subnet' directives or check running config via `named-checkconf -z` or `rndc config`. ECS is typically enabled via `edns-client-subnet` in options or view blocks.
    Affected if ECS support is enabled in the BIND configuration.
  4. Check for presence of ECS records in cache
    Use `rndc dumpdb -cache` to dump the cache, then search for entries containing 'ECS' or client subnet data. Count the number of distinct ECS entries for any single domain name.
    Affected if The cache contains a very large number (hundreds or thousands) of ECS records for the same domain name.
  5. Check for NetApp Active IQ Unified Manager
    Identify if NetApp Active IQ Unified Manager is installed on the system (check installed packages, services, or product documentation).
    Affected if NetApp Active IQ Unified Manager is present on the system (all versions are affected).

You are affected if you run an affected BIND 9 version with resolver and ECS enabled and have a cache populated with many ECS records, or if NetApp Active IQ Unified Manager is installed.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade BIND 9 to a patched version (beyond 9.11.37-S1, 9.16.45-S1, or 9.18.21-S1) or apply vendor patches. Monitor resolver performance during cache operations as a temporary indicator.

Recommended fix High confidence

BIND 9.11.38+ / 9.16.46+ / 9.18.22+; NetApp patch when available

  1. 1. Identify the current BIND 9 version by running 'named -v' or 'named -V'
  2. 2. For BIND 9.11.x: Upgrade to version 9.11.38 or later (or 9.11.38-S1 if using supported releases)
  3. 3. For BIND 9.16.x: Upgrade to version 9.16.46 or later (or 9.16.46-S1 if using supported releases)
  4. 4. For BIND 9.18.x: Upgrade to version 9.18.22 or later
  5. 5. After upgrade, restart the named service: 'systemctl restart named' or 'service named restart'
  6. 6. Verify the new version is running: 'named -v'
  7. 7. For NetApp Active IQ Unified Manager: Monitor security.netapp.com for available patches as all versions are affected
Caveat Upgrading BIND may require testing DNSSEC validation and any custom configuration; review release notes for behavioral changes

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Bind Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-5680 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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