CVE-1999-0011 in BIND
Summary
by MITRE
Denial of Service vulnerabilities in BIND 4.9 and BIND 8 Releases via CNAME record and zone transfer.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-1999-0011 represents a critical denial of service weakness affecting the Berkeley Internet Name Domain software versions 4.9 and 8. This flaw specifically manifests during processing of CNAME records and zone transfer operations, creating a potential avenue for attackers to disrupt DNS services and render them unavailable to legitimate users. The vulnerability falls under the broader category of denial of service attacks that target core infrastructure components, particularly those responsible for domain name resolution services that form the backbone of internet connectivity.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the affected BIND versions process malformed or specially crafted CNAME records during zone transfer operations. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the DNS server implementation, allowing maliciously constructed DNS records to trigger unexpected behavior in the name server software. When the system attempts to process these records during zone transfers, it can enter an infinite loop or consume excessive system resources, ultimately causing the DNS service to become unresponsive or crash entirely. This behavior aligns with CWE-122, which addresses buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-400, which covers resource exhaustion vulnerabilities. The vulnerability demonstrates the classic pattern of insufficient validation of input data, where the system fails to properly sanitize or validate the format and content of DNS records before processing them.
The operational impact of CVE-1999-0011 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the availability of entire network infrastructures that depend on DNS resolution. Organizations utilizing affected BIND versions may experience complete loss of DNS service availability, leading to widespread connectivity issues for all systems relying on those name servers. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication, making it an attractive target for attackers seeking to cause maximum disruption. This attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and demonstrates how fundamental infrastructure components can be targeted to create cascading failures across networked environments. The vulnerability affects organizations of all sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises, as DNS services are critical for internet connectivity and internal network operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of software updates and patches provided by the vendor, as well as network-level defensive measures to prevent exploitation. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to patched versions of BIND software that address the specific validation issues in CNAME record processing and zone transfer operations. Network administrators should implement rate limiting and access controls to prevent unauthorized zone transfer attempts, while also monitoring for unusual DNS traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include thorough testing of updated systems to ensure that the patch does not introduce compatibility issues with existing DNS configurations. Additionally, organizations should establish incident response procedures specifically addressing DNS denial of service attacks, including backup DNS server configurations and alternative resolution mechanisms to maintain service availability during potential attacks. This vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing proper network segmentation to limit the impact of such attacks on critical infrastructure components.