CVE-2024-0874 is a vulnerability identified in CoreDNS, a widely used DNS server in cloud-native and container orchestration environments. The issue stems from an incorrectly implemented caching mechanism that can cause the server to return invalid cache entries containing sensitive information. This flaw does not require any privileges or user interaction to exploit and can be triggered remotely over the network. The vulnerability impacts the integrity of DNS responses by potentially serving stale or incorrect data cached from previous queries, which may include sensitive information inadvertently stored in the cache. Although the confidentiality impact is rated as none, the integrity impact is low, as the returned data may mislead clients or services relying on DNS for critical operations. Availability is not affected. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N) reflects that the attack surface is network-based with low attack complexity and no privileges or user interaction required. No public exploits or active exploitation have been reported to date. CoreDNS is a core component in many Kubernetes clusters and cloud-native deployments, making this vulnerability relevant to organizations leveraging these technologies. The lack of patch links suggests that fixes may be pending or recently released, so monitoring official CoreDNS advisories is critical.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2024-0874 lies in the potential integrity degradation of DNS responses within environments using CoreDNS, particularly Kubernetes clusters and cloud-native infrastructures. Incorrect cache entries could lead to misrouting or misinterpretation of DNS queries, potentially disrupting internal services or exposing sensitive cached data to unauthorized parties. While the confidentiality impact is rated as none, the leakage of sensitive information through cache entries could indirectly expose internal network details or configuration data. This may facilitate further reconnaissance or targeted attacks. The vulnerability does not affect availability, so service disruption risk is low. Organizations relying heavily on CoreDNS for internal DNS resolution or service discovery should consider this a moderate risk, especially in sectors with stringent data protection requirements such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the need for proactive mitigation.

1. Monitor official CoreDNS repositories and security advisories for patches addressing CVE-2024-0874 and apply them promptly once available. 2. Review and harden DNS cache configurations to minimize the storage of sensitive information and reduce cache lifetimes where feasible. 3. Implement network segmentation and access controls to restrict exposure of CoreDNS servers to untrusted networks. 4. Employ DNS query logging and anomaly detection to identify unusual or suspicious DNS responses that may indicate exploitation attempts. 5. In Kubernetes environments, consider using additional DNS security features such as DNS over TLS (DoT) or DNS over HTTPS (DoH) to protect DNS traffic integrity. 6. Conduct regular security assessments of DNS infrastructure and container orchestration platforms to detect misconfigurations or vulnerabilities. 7. Educate DevOps and infrastructure teams about the risks associated with DNS caching and the importance of timely patching.