CVE-2026-33254: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling in PowerDNS DNSdist
An attacker can create a large number of concurrent DoQ or DoH3 connections, causing unlimited memory allocation in DNSdist and leading to a denial of service. DOQ and DoH3 are disabled by default.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
This vulnerability in PowerDNS DNSdist allows an attacker to trigger unlimited memory allocation by establishing a large number of concurrent DNS-over-QUIC (DoQ) or DNS-over-HTTP/3 (DoH3) connections. This can exhaust system resources and cause a denial of service. Since DoQ and DoH3 are disabled by default, exploitation requires these protocols to be enabled. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.3, reflecting a network attack vector with no privileges or user interaction required, causing availability impact only. No official fix or patch has been published yet.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation results in denial of service due to resource exhaustion (memory) in DNSdist. There is no impact on confidentiality or integrity. The attack requires network access and no privileges or user interaction. Since DoQ and DoH3 are disabled by default, the attack surface is limited unless these protocols are enabled.
Mitigation Recommendations
As of now, there is no official patch or remediation available. Users should ensure that DoQ and DoH3 protocols remain disabled unless necessary. Monitor vendor advisories for updates regarding patches or official mitigations. Avoid enabling DoQ or DoH3 until a fix is released.
CVE-2026-33254: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling in PowerDNS DNSdist
Description
An attacker can create a large number of concurrent DoQ or DoH3 connections, causing unlimited memory allocation in DNSdist and leading to a denial of service. DOQ and DoH3 are disabled by default.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
This vulnerability in PowerDNS DNSdist allows an attacker to trigger unlimited memory allocation by establishing a large number of concurrent DNS-over-QUIC (DoQ) or DNS-over-HTTP/3 (DoH3) connections. This can exhaust system resources and cause a denial of service. Since DoQ and DoH3 are disabled by default, exploitation requires these protocols to be enabled. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.3, reflecting a network attack vector with no privileges or user interaction required, causing availability impact only. No official fix or patch has been published yet.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation results in denial of service due to resource exhaustion (memory) in DNSdist. There is no impact on confidentiality or integrity. The attack requires network access and no privileges or user interaction. Since DoQ and DoH3 are disabled by default, the attack surface is limited unless these protocols are enabled.
Mitigation Recommendations
As of now, there is no official patch or remediation available. Users should ensure that DoQ and DoH3 protocols remain disabled unless necessary. Monitor vendor advisories for updates regarding patches or official mitigations. Avoid enabling DoQ or DoH3 until a fix is released.
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: 4/22/2026, 2:16:19 PM
Last enriched: 4/22/2026, 2:32:35 PM
Last updated: 4/23/2026, 1:06:34 AM
Views: 3
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