CVE-2026-13204: Unexpected exit in certain situations with NSEC and NSEC3 both present

Published Jul 21, 2026
·
Updated

If a provably insecure domain is covered by both an NSEC and NSEC3 record at the parent, and there exist an RRSIG for only one of these types, then BIND may exit unexpectedly with an assertion while validating this proof. This issue affects BIND 9 versions 9.11.0 through 9.18.50, 9.20.0 through 9.20.24, 9.21.0 through 9.21.23, 9.11.3-S1 through 9.18.50-S1, and 9.20.9-S1 through 9.20.24-S1.

Other sources

If a provably insecure domain is covered by both NSEC and NSEC3 at the parent, with an RRSIG for only one type, BIND exits with an assertion during validation.

Red Hat

Unexpected exit in certain situations with NSEC and NSEC3 both present

Microsoft

Affected Software

3 affected componentsFixes available
ISC BIND 9>=9.11.0<=9.18.50, >=9.20.0<=9.20.24, >=9.21.0<=9.21.23, >=9.11.3-S1<=9.18.50-S1, >=9.20.9-S1<=9.20.24-S1
Microsoft azl3 bind 9.20.23-1<9.20.26-1
9.20.26-1
debian/bind9<=1:9.16.50-1~deb11u2, <=1:9.18.49-1~deb12u1, <=1:9.20.23-1~deb13u1
1:9.16.50-1~deb11u61:9.18.49-1~deb12u21:9.20.26-1~deb13u11:9.20.27-1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

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

    Fixed in 9.20.26-1
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/bind9 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 1:9.16.50-1~deb11u6Fixed in 1:9.18.49-1~deb12u2Fixed in 1:9.20.26-1~deb13u1Fixed in 1:9.20.27-1
  3. Upgrade

    Upgrade BIND 9 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 9.20.26
  4. Upgrade

    Upgrade BIND 9 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 9.21.24
  5. Upgrade

    Upgrade BIND 9 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 9.20.26-S1

Event History

Jul 21, 2026
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·08:57 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Jul 22, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·02:15 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·02:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·03:16 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Jul 25, 2026
Data Sourced
via Microsoft·08:04 AM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via Microsoft·08:04 AM
Affected Software
Updated
via Microsoft·08:04 AM
DescriptionSeverity
Sep 1, 2026
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·01:42 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·01:44 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via Debian·01:44 PM
DescriptionAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-13204?

The severity of CVE-2026-13204 is rated as high with a score of 7.5.

2

How does CVE-2026-13204 impact ISC BIND 9?

CVE-2026-13204 can cause BIND to exit unexpectedly when validating domain records under specific conditions.

3

What versions of ISC BIND 9 are affected by CVE-2026-13204?

CVE-2026-13204 affects BIND 9 versions 9.11.0 through 9.18.50 and 9.20.0 through 9.20.x.

4

How do I fix CVE-2026-13204?

To fix CVE-2026-13204, you should upgrade to the latest version of ISC BIND 9 that resolves this vulnerability.

5

What conditions lead to the vulnerability in CVE-2026-13204?

The vulnerability occurs when both NSEC and NSEC3 records are present for a domain, but only one type of RRSIG is available for validation.

Contact

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