CVE-2017-6519: Critical severity Avahi Avahi vulnerability

Published Feb 24, 2017
·
Updated

avahi-daemon in Avahi through 0.6.32 and 0.7 inadvertently responds to IPv6 unicast queries with source addresses that are not on-link, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (traffic amplification) and may cause information leakage by obtaining potentially sensitive information from the responding device via port-5353 UDP packets. NOTE: this may overlap CVE-2015-2809.

Other sources

It was found that avahi responds to unicast queries coming from outside of local network which may cause an information leak, such as disclosing the device type/model that responds to the request or the operating system. The mDNS response may also be used to amplify denial of service attacks against other networks as the response size is greater than the size of request.

External References:

https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/550620

Red Hat

Affected Software

8 affected componentsFixes available
Avahi Avahi<=0.6.32
Avahi Avahi=0.7
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=12.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=14.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.10
debian/avahi
0.8-5+deb11u20.8-5+deb11u30.8-10+deb12u10.8-160.8-17

Remediation

Mitigation

Block udp port 5353 at perimeter firewall

Event History

Feb 24, 2017
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·04:22 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
May 1, 2017
CVE Published
via MITRE·01:00 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·01:00 AM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·01:59 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·10:38 PM
Description
Dec 9, 2025
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·10:11 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via Debian·10:11 PM
DescriptionAffected Software
Free Weekly Intel

Don't miss critical vulnerabilities

Join thousands of security professionals who receive our weekly digest of trending CVEs, zero-days, and exploited vulnerabilities.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2017-6519?

CVE-2017-6519 is rated as a denial of service vulnerability that can lead to traffic amplification.

2

How do I fix CVE-2017-6519?

To fix CVE-2017-6519, upgrade the Avahi package to version 0.8 or later.

3

Which versions of Avahi are affected by CVE-2017-6519?

Avahi versions up to and including 0.6.32 and 0.7 are affected by CVE-2017-6519.

4

Can CVE-2017-6519 lead to information leakage?

Yes, CVE-2017-6519 may allow remote attackers to obtain potentially sensitive information.

5

Is there a workaround for CVE-2017-6519 if I cannot upgrade?

A workaround for CVE-2017-6519 is to restrict access to the Avahi service to only trusted networks.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203