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Full vulnerability report · 2026
CVE-2026-6507High confidence

Dnsmasq: dnsmasq: denial of service due to out-of-bounds write in dhcp bootreply processing

Unknown · Unknown

7.5HighCVSS 3.1
Recommended action
Within 7 days

High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.

Fix not verified
Direct vendor intelligence

Authoritative vendor CSAF and VEX advisories

Structured product status and remediation from the issuing vendor. Product-state explanations are always visible; large lists can be searched or downloaded.

1 current
CVE-2026-6507 · CSAF 2.0 · revision 3 · finalRed Hat Product Securitydnsmasq: dnsmasq: Denial of Service due to out-of-bounds write in DHCP BOOTREPLY processing
17 known not affected

The vendor explicitly states that these products are not affected by this CVE.

  • dnsmasq as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • dnsmasq-utils as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • dnsmasq.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • dnsmasq as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
  • dnsmasq-utils as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
  • dnsmasq.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
  • dnsmasq as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
  • dnsmasq-utils as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
  • dnsmasq.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
  • dnsmasq as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
  • dnsmasq-utils as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
  • dnsmasq.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Summary
A flaw was found in dnsmasq. A remote attacker could exploit an out-of-bounds write vulnerability by sending a specially crafted BOOTREPLY (Bootstrap Protocol Reply) packet to a dnsmasq server configured with the `--dhcp-split-relay` option. This can lead to memory corruption, causing the dnsmasq daemon to crash and resulting in a denial of service (DoS).
Remediation
No remediation text is recorded.
Optional official sources

National CERT insights
?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

Select the national-authority views to include. The exact source language is shown on each matched advisory. Your choice is remembered on this device and encoded in the shareable URL.

Official European source

ENISA European Vulnerability Database

Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.

1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier

EUVD-2026-23419

No EUVD known-exploited evidence

A flaw was found in dnsmasq. A remote attacker could exploit an out-of-bounds write vulnerability by sending a specially crafted BOOTREPLY (Bootstrap Protocol Reply) packet to a dnsmasq server configured with the `--dhcp-split-relay` option. This can lead to memory corruption, causing the dnsmasq daemon to crash and resulting in a denial of service (DoS).

EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Not present in the current ENISA EUVD known-exploited dataset. This is not proof of no exploitation.
ENISA score
7.5 · CVSS 3.1
Advisory evidence
No linked advisory details stored yet
Recommended actionWithin 7 days

High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.

Fix not verified
01

What, why and how

A flaw was found in dnsmasq. A remote attacker could exploit an out-of-bounds write vulnerability by sending a specially crafted BOOTREPLY (Bootstrap Protocol Reply) packet to a dnsmasq server configured with the `--dhcp-split-relay` option. This can lead to memory corruption, causing the dnsmasq daemon to crash and resulting in a denial of service (DoS).

What

A flaw was found in dnsmasq. A remote attacker could exploit an out-of-bounds write vulnerability by sending a specially crafted BOOTREPLY (Bootstrap Protocol Reply) packet to a dnsmasq server configured with the `--dhcp-split-relay` option. This can lead to memory corruption, causing the dnsmasq daemon to crash and resulting in a denial of service (DoS).

Why

A bounds error lets data be written beyond the intended memory region, potentially corrupting control data.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may disrupt the affected service.

What

A flaw was found in dnsmasq. A remote attacker could exploit an out-of-bounds write vulnerability by sending a specially crafted BOOTREPLY (Bootstrap Protocol Reply) packet to a dnsmasq server configured with the `--dhcp-split-relay` option. This can lead to memory corruption, causing the dnsmasq daemon to crash and resulting in a denial of service (DoS).

Why

A bounds error lets data be written beyond the intended memory region, potentially corrupting control data.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may disrupt the affected service.

02

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
No confirmed evidence

No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.

Public PoC / exploit material
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
None recorded

No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.

Likely attack path
a network path → Out-of-bounds Write → disrupt the affected service
Attack surface
Network
Privileges required
None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
Security boundary
Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
Weakness
?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-787 ↗

CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write. The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

CVSS vector
?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.

AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CNoneConfidentiality impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.INoneIntegrity impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.AHighAvailability impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
NetworkUnauthenticatedDenial of serviceCWE-787
A

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-23419Official EUVD mapping

A flaw was found in dnsmasq. A remote attacker could exploit an out-of-bounds write vulnerability by sending a specially crafted BOOTREPLY (Bootstrap Protocol Reply) packet to a dnsmasq server configured with the `--dhcp-split-relay` option. This can lead to memory corruption, causing the dnsmasq daemon to crash and resulting in a denial of service (DoS).

Official EUVD record
BSI · German · WID-SEC-W-2026-1167dnsmasq: Schwachstelle ermöglicht Denial of Service

Ein entfernter, anonymer Angreifer kann eine Schwachstelle in dnsmasq ausnutzen, um einen Denial of Service Angriff durchzuführen.

Official advisory
03

Patch and workaround

Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.

Status
?Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Fix not verified
Affected
2.92 < 2.93
Fixed
No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
Action
No verified patch reference is present in the current structured sources. Check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Workaround
No verified workaround is recorded. If business-safe, reduce exposure to the affected interface and allow only trusted sources until authoritative guidance is available.
04

Evidence and provenance

Published 17 Apr 2026 · Last source change 1 Sept 2026, 11:45 UTC · CWE-787 · Out-of-bounds Write

CVE recordCVE.org · 5.2
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source
?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.
FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-23419
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD awaiting enrichment

Missing structured fields: affected product. Missing data is not evidence of low risk; review the primary advisory.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates →
  1. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    See the vendor and CVE records for the affected range. · Fixed: No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
    After
    2.92 < 2.93 · Fixed: No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
    CNA ↗
Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
CVE published
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-23419↗CVE authority or vendor reference↗Official CVE record (CNA and ADP data)↗NVD record↗
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS
Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS
Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE
Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA
CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD
National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT
A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC
Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF
Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL
Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.
Free version - for non-commercial use only.CVE-2026-6507 · cve.blacktree.nl