CVE-2021-23386Network attack vector

Process-memory disclosure via oversized uninitialized packet buffers

Published May 20, 2021 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Information disclosure in dns-packet before 5.2.2 allows remote authenticated users to read process memory through crafted invalid domain names. The name encodingLength routine counts terminal dots that name.encode trims, so allocUnsafe creates a packet buffer larger than the bytes written. An application must encode an attacker-controlled invalid name and send the resulting packet over an unencrypted network; only residual process-memory bytes are exposed.

CVSS severity6.5
Medium
EPSS probability1.43%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Information disclosure in dns-packet before 5.2.2 allows remote authenticated users to read process memory through crafted invalid domain names. The name encodingLength routine counts terminal dots that name.encode trims, so allocUnsafe creates a packet buffer larger than the bytes written. An application must encode an attacker-controlled invalid name and send the resulting packet over an unencrypted network; only residual process-memory bytes are exposed.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-23386
Published
May 20, 2021
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
Mathias Buus
Product
dns-packet
Classifications
CWE-909, CWE-201, T1005
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 20, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified <5.2.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Mathias Buus · dns-packetversion=unspecified <5.2.2

Published CVSS scores

7.7SnykCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L
6.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-909Missing Initialization of Resource
CWE-201Insertion of Sensitive Information Into Sent Data
T1005Data from Local System

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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