CVE catalog
CVE-2023-6516
bind9: CVE-2023-6516
- Severity
- High · CVSS 7.5
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Published
- Source
- [NVD] · [CVE record]
- EPSS
- 1.11% · Oct 25, 2026
To keep its cache database efficient, `named` running as a recursive resolver occasionally attempts to clean up the database. It uses several methods, including some that are asynchronous: a small chunk of memory pointing to the cache element that can be cleaned up is first allocated and then queued for later processing. It was discovered that if the resolver is continuously processing query patterns triggering this type of cache-database maintenance, `named` may not be able to handle the cleanup events in a timely manner. This in turn enables the list of queued cleanup events to grow infinitely large over time, allowing the configured `max-cache-size` limit to be significantly exceeded. This issue affects BIND 9 versions 9.16.0 through 9.16.45 and 9.16.8-S1 through 9.16.45-S1.
Vulnerable and fixed packages
Distribution-reported package versions and fixes. These do not depend on matching against the OpenFactory package catalog.
| Distribution | Package | Release | Version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debian | bind9 | sid | 1:9.20.30-1 | fixed |
| Debian | bind9 | forky | 1:9.20.30-1 | fixed |
| Debian | bind9 | trixie | 1:9.20.26-1~deb13u1 | fixed |
| Debian | bind9 | trixie-security | 1:9.20.30-1~deb13u1 | fixed |
| Debian | bind9 | bookworm | 1:9.18.49-1~deb12u1 | fixed |
| Debian | bind9 | bookworm-security | 1:9.18.49-1~deb12u3 | fixed |
| Alpine | bind | 3.16 | 9.16.48-r0 | fixed |
| Alpine | bind | 3.17 | 9.18.24-r0 | fixed |
| Alpine | bind | 3.18 | 9.18.24-r0 | fixed |
| Alpine | bind | 3.19 | 9.18.24-r0 | fixed |
| Alpine | bind | 3.20 | 9.18.24-r0 | fixed |
| Alpine | bind | 3.21 | 9.18.24-r0 | fixed |
| Alpine | bind | 3.22 | 9.18.24-r0 | fixed |
| Alpine | bind | 3.23 | 9.18.24-r0 | fixed |
| Alpine | bind | 3.24 | 9.18.24-r0 | fixed |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.11.5.P4+dfsg-5.1ubuntu2 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.11.5.P4+dfsg-5.1ubuntu3 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.11.5.P4+dfsg-5.1ubuntu4 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.11.5.P4+dfsg-5.1ubuntu5 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.11.14+dfsg-1ubuntu1 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.11.14+dfsg-3ubuntu1 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.0-1ubuntu3 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.0-1ubuntu4 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.0-1ubuntu5 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.1-0ubuntu1 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.1-0ubuntu2 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.1-0ubuntu2.1 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.1-0ubuntu2.2 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.1-0ubuntu2.3 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.1-0ubuntu2.4 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.1-0ubuntu2.6 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.1-0ubuntu2.7 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.1-0ubuntu2.8 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.1-0ubuntu2.9 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.1-0ubuntu2.10 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.1-0ubuntu2.11 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.1-0ubuntu2.12 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.1-0ubuntu2.14 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.1-0ubuntu2.15 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.1-0ubuntu2.16 | vulnerable |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | 20.04 | 1:9.16.48-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 | fixed |
Fixed-version evidence
| Distribution | Package | Type | Release | Fixed version | Urgency | Origin | Bugs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debian | bind9 | source | sid | 1:9.17.19-1 | not yet assigned | Not reported | Not reported |
| Debian | bind9 | source | forky | 1:9.17.19-1 | not yet assigned | Not reported | Not reported |
| Debian | bind9 | source | trixie | 1:9.17.19-1 | not yet assigned | Not reported | Not reported |
| Debian | bind9 | source | bookworm | 1:9.17.19-1 | not yet assigned | Not reported | Not reported |
| Alpine | bind | apk | 3.16 | 9.16.48-r0 | Not reported | ALPINE-CVE-2023-6516 | Not reported |
| Alpine | bind | apk | 3.17 | 9.18.24-r0 | Not reported | ALPINE-CVE-2023-6516 | Not reported |
| Alpine | bind | apk | 3.18 | 9.18.24-r0 | Not reported | ALPINE-CVE-2023-6516 | Not reported |
| Alpine | bind | apk | 3.19 | 9.18.24-r0 | Not reported | ALPINE-CVE-2023-6516 | Not reported |
| Alpine | bind | apk | 3.20 | 9.18.24-r0 | Not reported | ALPINE-CVE-2023-6516 | Not reported |
| Alpine | bind | apk | 3.21 | 9.18.24-r0 | Not reported | ALPINE-CVE-2023-6516 | Not reported |
| Alpine | bind | apk | 3.22 | 9.18.24-r0 | Not reported | ALPINE-CVE-2023-6516 | Not reported |
| Alpine | bind | apk | 3.23 | 9.18.24-r0 | Not reported | ALPINE-CVE-2023-6516 | Not reported |
| Alpine | bind | apk | 3.24 | 9.18.24-r0 | Not reported | ALPINE-CVE-2023-6516 | Not reported |
| Ubuntu | bind9 | deb | 20.04 | 1:9.16.48-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 | Not reported | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-6516 | Not reported |
OpenFactory catalog packages
Matching against OpenFactory catalog package versions is in progress.
References
- [https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/csaf/ssa-915275.json]
- [https://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/security/csaf/rhsa-2024_1781.json]
- [https://osv.dev/vulnerability/ALPINE-CVE-2023-6516]
- [https://osv.dev/vulnerability/DEBIAN-CVE-2023-6516]
- [https://osv.dev/vulnerability/UBUNTU-CVE-2023-6516]
- [https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2023-6516]
- [https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2023/cve-2023-6516.json]
- [https://wid.cert-bund.de/.well-known/csaf/white/2024/wid-sec-w-2024-0386.json]
[CERT-Bund public advisories] · [CISA cybersecurity advisories] · [Debian Security Tracker] · [FIRST EPSS] · [OSV Package Vulnerability Database] · [Red Hat security advisories and VEX] · [SUSE security advisories and VEX]