CVE-2026-33254: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling in PowerDNS DNSdist
CVE-2026-33254 is a vulnerability in PowerDNS DNSdist where an attacker can cause unlimited memory allocation by creating many concurrent DoQ or DoH3 connections, resulting in a denial of service. Both DoQ and DoH3 are disabled by default in DNSdist. The vulnerability affects versions 1.9.0 and 2.0.0. No official patch or remediation guidance is currently available.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
This vulnerability in PowerDNS DNSdist involves allocation of resources without limits or throttling (CWE-770). An attacker can exploit this by establishing a large number of concurrent DNS-over-QUIC (DoQ) or DNS-over-HTTP/3 (DoH3) connections, causing DNSdist to allocate memory without restriction and potentially leading to denial of service. DoQ and DoH3 features are disabled by default, which reduces exposure. The affected versions are exactly 1.9.0 and 2.0.0. There is no vendor advisory or patch information available at this time.
Potential Impact
The impact is a denial of service condition caused by uncontrolled memory allocation when many DoQ or DoH3 connections are created concurrently. This can exhaust system resources and disrupt DNSdist service availability. There is no impact on confidentiality or integrity reported. Since DoQ and DoH3 are disabled by default, the attack surface is limited unless these features are explicitly enabled.
Mitigation Recommendations
No official patch or remediation is currently available. Since DoQ and DoH3 are disabled by default, ensuring these features remain disabled will mitigate exposure. Monitor vendor advisories for updates or patches addressing this issue.
CVE-2026-33254: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling in PowerDNS DNSdist
Description
CVE-2026-33254 is a vulnerability in PowerDNS DNSdist where an attacker can cause unlimited memory allocation by creating many concurrent DoQ or DoH3 connections, resulting in a denial of service. Both DoQ and DoH3 are disabled by default in DNSdist. The vulnerability affects versions 1.9.0 and 2.0.0. No official patch or remediation guidance is currently available.
CVSS v3.1
Score 5.3medium
Affected software
pkg:github/powerdns/dnsdistRun on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
This vulnerability in PowerDNS DNSdist involves allocation of resources without limits or throttling (CWE-770). An attacker can exploit this by establishing a large number of concurrent DNS-over-QUIC (DoQ) or DNS-over-HTTP/3 (DoH3) connections, causing DNSdist to allocate memory without restriction and potentially leading to denial of service. DoQ and DoH3 features are disabled by default, which reduces exposure. The affected versions are exactly 1.9.0 and 2.0.0. There is no vendor advisory or patch information available at this time.
Potential Impact
The impact is a denial of service condition caused by uncontrolled memory allocation when many DoQ or DoH3 connections are created concurrently. This can exhaust system resources and disrupt DNSdist service availability. There is no impact on confidentiality or integrity reported. Since DoQ and DoH3 are disabled by default, the attack surface is limited unless these features are explicitly enabled.
Mitigation Recommendations
No official patch or remediation is currently available. Since DoQ and DoH3 are disabled by default, ensuring these features remain disabled will mitigate exposure. Monitor vendor advisories for updates or patches addressing this issue.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- OX
- Date Reserved
- 2026-03-18T10:06:16.572Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 69e8d83319fe3cd2cdbdac04
Added to database: 04/22/2026, 14:16:19 UTC
Last enriched: 07/02/2026, 23:39:41 UTC
Last updated: 07/31/2026, 19:22:58 UTC
Views: 91
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