CVE-2021-26720: High severity Avahi Avahi vulnerability

Published Feb 17, 2021
·
Updated

avahi-daemon-check-dns.sh in the Debian avahi package through 0.8-4 is executed as root via /etc/network/if-up.d/avahi-daemon and allows a local attacker to cause a denial of service or create arbitrary empty files via a symlink attack on files under /run/avahi-daemon. NOTE: this only affects the packaging for Debian GNU/Linux (used indirectly by SUSE) not the upstream Avahi product.

Other sources

avahi-daemon-check-dns.sh in the Debian avahi package through 0.8-4 is executed as root via /etc/network/if-up.d/avahi-daemon, and allows a local attacker to cause a denial of service or create arbitrary empty files via a symlink attack on files under /run/avahi-daemon. NOTE: this only affects the packaging for Debian GNU/Linux (used indirectly by SUSE), not the upstream Avahi product.

MITRE

Affected Software

6 affected componentsFixes available
Avahi Avahi<=0.8-4
Debian Debian Linux=9.0
Debian Debian Linux=10.0
debian/avahi
0.8-5+deb11u20.8-5+deb11u30.8-10+deb12u10.8-160.8-18
Microsoft cbl2 avahi 0.8-1<0.8-1
0.8-1
Microsoft azl3 avahi 0.8-1<0.8-1
0.8-1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/avahi to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0.8-5+deb11u2Fixed in 0.8-5+deb11u3Fixed in 0.8-10+deb12u1Fixed in 0.8-16Fixed in 0.8-18
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade to a fixed release to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0.8-1

Event History

Feb 17, 2021
CVE Published
via MITRE·09:19 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·09:19 PM
Description
Dec 16, 2021
Data Sourced
via Microsoft·08:00 AM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via Microsoft·08:00 AM
Affected Software
Updated
via Microsoft·08:00 AM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Feb 24, 2026
Data Sourced
via Debian·05:53 PM
DescriptionAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2021-26720?

CVE-2021-26720 is a vulnerability in the avahi package in Debian that allows a local attacker to cause a denial of service or create arbitrary empty files via a symlink attack on files under /run/avahi-daemon.

2

What is the severity of CVE-2021-26720?

CVE-2021-26720 has a severity value of 7.8 (High).

3

How does CVE-2021-26720 affect the avahi package?

CVE-2021-26720 affects avahi packages through version 0.8-4.

4

How can I fix CVE-2021-26720?

To fix CVE-2021-26720, upgrade to avahi package version 0.8-5+deb11u2 or later.

5

Where can I find more information about CVE-2021-26720?

You can find more information about CVE-2021-26720 on the Openwall website and the Debian security tracker.

Contact

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