CVE-2012-2978 in NSD
Summary
by MITRE
query.c in NSD 3.0.x through 3.0.8, 3.1.x through 3.1.1, and 3.2.x before 3.2.12 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and child process crash) via a crafted DNS packet.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2978 represents a critical denial of service flaw within the NSD DNS server software family. This issue affects multiple versions including 3.0.x through 3.0.8, 3.1.x through 3.1.1, and 3.2.x versions prior to 3.2.12. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of malformed DNS packets within the query.c component of the software, creating a scenario where remote attackers can exploit this weakness to disrupt DNS services. The flaw manifests as a NULL pointer dereference condition that leads to child process crashes, effectively compromising the availability of the affected DNS server infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a specific code path within the DNS query processing logic where the software fails to properly validate incoming DNS packet structures. When a maliciously crafted DNS packet is received, the query.c module attempts to access memory locations that have not been properly initialized or validated, resulting in a NULL pointer dereference. This memory access violation causes the child process responsible for handling the DNS query to terminate abruptly, leading to a complete denial of service condition. The vulnerability operates at the protocol parsing layer, where the software's inability to gracefully handle malformed input data creates an exploitable condition that can be triggered remotely without authentication requirements.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant threat to DNS infrastructure reliability and availability. Organizations relying on affected NSD versions face potential service disruption that could impact thousands of DNS queries and potentially affect downstream services dependent on proper DNS resolution. The remote nature of the attack means that malicious actors can exploit this vulnerability from anywhere on the network, making it particularly dangerous for public DNS servers or those exposed to untrusted networks. The cascading effect of child process crashes can lead to service degradation or complete unavailability of DNS resolution capabilities until manual intervention or service restart occurs.
Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability in the context of broader DNS security frameworks and attack patterns. The flaw aligns with CWE-476 which addresses NULL pointer dereference conditions, and represents a classic example of how improper input validation can lead to denial of service attacks. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving service disruption and availability attacks, specifically targeting infrastructure components to create operational impact. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of robust error handling and input validation in network services, as highlighted in various cybersecurity best practices and standards including those from NIST and ISO 27001 frameworks. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems and implement monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and access controls can provide additional defense in depth measures while the remediation process should include thorough testing of patched versions to ensure no regression in functionality.