CVE-2026-40622: NLnet Labs Unbound · CWE-346
Affects NLnet Labs UnboundSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.6 Medium : upgrade to 1.25.1 when convenient.
Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 06:59 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 3% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 1.25.1
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:AmberExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 20 May 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 29 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade NLnet Labs Unbound to 1.25.1.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| NLnet LabsUnbound | Affected
| Fixed in
|
AI-suggested
Upgrade Unbound to version 1.25.1 or later, which contains a patch preventing TTL extension for parent NS records. Since the vendor advisory indicates the fix is included in 1.25.1, applying this official update is the recommended remediation. Patch status is confirmed by the vendor advisory. No alternative mitigations are indicated.
Description
NLnet Labs Unbound 1.16.2 up to and including version 1.25.0 has a vulnerability of the 'ghost domain names' family of attacks that could extend the ghost domain window by up to one cached TTL configured value. Similar to other 'ghost domain names' attacks, an adversary needs to control a (ghost) zone and be able to query a vulnerable Unbound. A single client NS query can cause Unbound to overwrite the cached expired parent-side referral NS rrset with the child-side apex NS rrset and essentially extend the ghost domain window by up to one cached TTL configured value ('cache-max-ttl'). In configurations where 'harden-referral-path: yes' is used (non-default configuration), no client NS query is required since Unbound implicitly performs that query. Unbound 1.25.1 contains a patch with a fix that does not allow extension of TTLs for (parent) NS records regardless of their trust.