CVE-2026-123581
Received Received - Intake

DNSSEC Validation Bypass in Hickory DNS

Publication date: 2026-11-08

Last updated on: 2026-11-08

Assigner: VulnCheck

Description
Hickory DNS hickory-proto through 0.26.0-alpha.1 and hickory-net 0.26.0-beta.1 before 0.26.2 contain a DNSSEC validation flaw that accepts a response as a positive answer when any valid RRset appears in the answer section, without checking that the RRset is responsive to the query. Attackers can supply signed but unrelated RRsets so that responses lacking matching records are validated as positive answers instead of as no-data responses.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-11-08
Last Modified
2026-11-08
Generated
2026-11-08
AI Q&A
2026-11-08
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-123581
EUVD
EUVD-2026-119340

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 2 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
hickory hickory-proto From 0.26.0-alpha.1 (inc)
hickory hickory-net From 0.26.0-beta.1 (inc) to 0.26.2 (exc)

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Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-345 The product does not sufficiently verify the origin or authenticity of data, in a way that causes it to accept invalid data.

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a DNSSEC validation flaw in Hickory DNS versions hickory-proto through 0.26.0-alpha.1 and hickory-net 0.26.0-beta.1 before 0.26.2. It allows attackers to provide a signed but unrelated RRset in a DNS response. The system incorrectly accepts this as a valid positive answer even when the RRset does not match the original query, instead of treating it as a no-data response.

Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, check if your system uses affected versions of hickory-proto (up to 0.26.0-alpha.1) or hickory-net (0.26.0-beta.1 to 0.26.1). Run: cargo tree -p hickory-proto or cargo tree -p hickory-net to verify versions. Monitor DNSSEC validation logs for unexpected positive responses without matching records.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow attackers to manipulate DNS responses, potentially redirecting users to malicious sites or intercepting communications. It undermines the integrity of DNSSEC validation, leading to incorrect data authenticity verification and possible data exposure or service disruption.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability may impact compliance with GDPR and HIPAA by compromising data integrity and authenticity. GDPR requires secure data processing and HIPAA mandates protection of sensitive health information. Improper DNSSEC validation could lead to unauthorized data access or tampering, violating these regulations.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade to hickory-net version 0.26.2 or later and hickory-proto beyond 0.26.0-alpha.1. If upgrading is not possible, disable DNSSEC validation temporarily or use alternative DNS resolvers until patches are applied.

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