NLnet Labs Net::DNS up to 1.56 TSIG Record lib/Net/DNS/RR/TSIG.pm sig_data recursion

CVSS Meta Temp Score
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5.1$0-$5k2.34

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability was found in NLnet Labs Net::DNS up to 1.56. It has been rated as problematic. Affected is the function sig_data of the file lib/Net/DNS/RR/TSIG.pm of the component TSIG Record Handler. This manipulation causes recursion. This vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2026-81928. The attack is possible to be carried out remotely. No exploit exists.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability has been found in NLnet Labs Net::DNS up to 1.56 and classified as problematic. Affected by this vulnerability is the function sig_data of the file lib/Net/DNS/RR/TSIG.pm of the component TSIG Record Handler. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a recursion vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-674. The product does not properly control the amount of recursion that takes place, consuming excessive resources, such as allocated memory or the program stack. As an impact it is known to affect availability. The summary by CVE is:

Net::DNS versions before 1.57 for Perl allow memory exhaustion via unbounded recursion in sig_data when re-encoding a message with a misplaced TSIG record. sig_data signs a message by re-encoding it, and removes TSIG records only from the additional section. A TSIG decoded into the answer or authority section survives that step and is signed again, so encoding re-enters sig_data with no termination condition. Decoding does not reject such a message: a TSIG that is not the last record on the wire raises "misplaced or corrupt TSIG", but the error is caught, reported as a warning, and the record is left in the packet. RFC 8945 section 5.2 requires the message to be dropped. The recursion is reached only when the decoded TSIG carries an empty MAC, since a MAC recovered from the wire short-circuits the signing step. It is reached only from code that re-encodes a message it decoded, such as a forwarder or a proxy. A decoded message that is never re-encoded is unaffected. Message direction does not matter: a query reaches the same path as a response. Each cycle re-encodes the whole message, so fewer than 100 bytes on the wire exhaust available memory and terminate the process.

The advisory is shared at metacpan.org. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2026-81928 since 08/27/2026. The exploitation appears to be easy. The attack can be launched remotely. The exploitation doesn't need any form of authentication. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available. MITRE ATT&CK project uses the attack technique T1499 for this issue.

Upgrading to version 1.57 eliminates this vulnerability.

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Productinfo

Vendor

Name

Version

CPE 2.3info

CPE 2.2info

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 5.3
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 5.1

VulDB Base Score: 5.3
VulDB Temp Score: 5.1
VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv2info

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VulDB Base Score: 🔒
VulDB Temp Score: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

Exploitinginfo

Class: Recursion
CWE: CWE-674 / CWE-404
CAPEC: 🔒
ATT&CK: 🔒

Physical: No
Local: No
Remote: Yes

Availability: 🔒
Status: Not defined
Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔒

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Threat Intelligenceinfo

Interest: 🔍
Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍

Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Upgrade
Status: 🔍

0-Day Time: 🔒

Upgrade: Net::DNS 1.57

Timelineinfo

08/27/2026 CVE reserved
09/01/2026 +5 days VulDB entry created
09/02/2026 +0 days Advisory disclosed
09/02/2026 +0 days VulDB entry last update

Sourcesinfo

Advisory: metacpan.org
Status: Confirmed

CVE: CVE-2026-81928 (🔒)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2026-81928
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-397957

Entryinfo

Created: 09/02/2026 01:38
Changes: 09/02/2026 01:38 (56)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103

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