CVE-2026-32665: Remote DNS-over-QUIC denial of service due to `quic-size` budget bypass

Published Jul 22, 2026
·
Updated

In NLnet Labs Unbound 1.22.0 up to and including 1.25.1, when downstream DNS-over-QUIC (DoQ) is enabled, the first two bidirectional streams on a new QUIC connection (streamid 0 and 4) bypass the per-stream 'quic-size' gate entirely, and large input buffers are allocated later, after only the 2-byte length prefix has been received from the initial streams. As a result, a remote client can make Unbound exceed the configured 'quic-size' limit with low-cost input. Using only one connection and two streams, each sending a declared 65535-byte length prefix and then holding the streams open, a client can already trivially make Unbound roughly allocate double that amount. This is a remote availability issue / memory-accounting bypass in the downstream DoQ implementation that leads to denial of service for new DoQ clients. This vulnerability needs Unbound to be compiled with DoQ support ('--with-libngtcp2') and the 'quic-port' to be configured for the listening interfaces.

Other sources

Remote DNS-over-QUIC denial of service due to quic-size budget bypass

Microsoft

Affected Software

3 affected componentsFixes available
Nlnet Labs Unbound>=1.22.0<=1.25.1
Microsoft azl3 unbound 1.25.1-1<1.25.2-1
1.25.2-1
nlnetlabs Unbound>=1.22.0<1.25.2

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 1.25.2-1
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade NLnet Labs Unbound to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 1.25.2
  3. Compensating control

    If you cannot upgrade to Unbound 1.25.2 immediately, mitigate by disabling downstream DNS-over-QUIC (DoQ) so the buggy DoQ stream handling is not reachable.

Event History

Jul 22, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·01:04 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·01:04 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·02:17 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Jul 23, 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
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-32665?

CVE-2026-32665 has a severity rating of high, with a score of 7.5.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-32665?

To mitigate CVE-2026-32665, upgrade to Unbound version 1.25.2 or later where the vulnerability is addressed.

3

What impact does CVE-2026-32665 have on my system?

CVE-2026-32665 can allow for a denial of service due to a bypass of the 'quic-size' budget for the first two streams of a new QUIC connection.

4

Which versions of Unbound are affected by CVE-2026-32665?

CVE-2026-32665 affects NLnet Labs Unbound versions 1.22.0 up to and including 1.25.1.

5

What kind of attack does CVE-2026-32665 facilitate?

CVE-2026-32665 facilitates a remote denial of service attack due to improper handling of large input buffers in DNS-over-QUIC.

Contact

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