CVE-2023-31137 HIGH

CVE-2023-31137: MaraDNS Integer Underflow Vulnerability in DNS Packet Decompression

Vendor Samboy
Product MaraDNS
Weakness CWE-191
Published May 9, 2023
Last update February 13, 2025

CVSS base score

7.5/10
Attack vector Network
Attack complexity Low
Privileges required None
User interaction None
Confidentiality None
Integrity None

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

What the vulnerability does

01Description

MaraDNS is open-source software that implements the Domain Name System (DNS). In version 3.5.0024 and prior, a remotely exploitable integer underflow vulnerability in the DNS packet decompression function allows an attacker to cause a Denial of Service by triggering an abnormal program termination. The vulnerability exists in the `decomp_get_rddata` function within the `Decompress.c` file. When handling a DNS packet with an Answer RR of qtype 16 (TXT record) and any qclass, if the `rdlength` is smaller than `rdata`, the result of the line `Decompress.c:886` is a negative number `len = rdlength - total;`. This value is then passed to the `decomp_append_bytes` function without proper validation, causing the program to attempt to allocate a massive chunk of memory that is impossible to allocate. Consequently, the program exits with an error code of 64, causing a Denial of Service. One proposed fix for this vulnerability is to patch `Decompress.c:887` by breaking `if(len <= 0)`, which has been incorporated in version 3.5.0036 via commit bab062bde40b2ae8a91eecd522e84d8b993bab58.

Key dates

02Disclosure timeline

May 9, 2023 CVE published
February 13, 2025 Record updated