CVE-2005-0428 in PowerDNS
Summary
by MITRE
The DNSPacket::expand method in dnspacket.cc in PowerDNS before 2.9.17 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service by sending a random stream of bytes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0428 represents a critical denial of service flaw within the PowerDNS software ecosystem, specifically affecting versions prior to 2.9.17. This issue resides within the DNSPacket::expand method implementation in the dnspacket.cc source file, demonstrating a fundamental weakness in input validation and memory handling procedures. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit the system by transmitting arbitrary byte streams that trigger unexpected behavior in the DNS packet processing mechanism, ultimately leading to service disruption.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking and memory management within the DNS packet expansion routine. When the DNSPacket::expand method processes incoming data streams, it fails to properly validate the length and structure of the input bytes, creating opportunities for malformed data to cause memory corruption or resource exhaustion. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of array indices, and CWE-787, concerning out-of-bounds write operations. The attack vector operates through network-based communication where malicious actors can send crafted byte sequences that, when processed by the vulnerable PowerDNS instance, result in system instability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can be exploited by attackers to systematically overwhelm DNS services and render them unavailable to legitimate users. This denial of service condition affects the core functionality of DNS resolution services, potentially impacting large-scale deployments where PowerDNS serves as a critical infrastructure component. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access or local privileges to trigger the condition, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where DNS servers are exposed to external traffic. Organizations relying on PowerDNS for their domain name resolution services face significant risk of service degradation or complete outages when this vulnerability remains unpatched.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-0428 primarily focus on immediate software updates to versions 2.9.17 or later, which contain the necessary code modifications to address the input validation flaws. System administrators should also implement network-level protections such as rate limiting and connection filtering to reduce the impact of potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation in network services and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for unusual traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other network services and prevent cascading failures within the infrastructure.