CVE-2026-40691: Packet of death for DNSCrypt over TCP
In Unbound 1.9.0 up to and including 1.25.1, when a DNSCrypt query is received over TCP, the routine that encrypts the reply in place fails to bound the reply length against the destination buffer size. The size clamp that protects the UDP path is not applied on the TCP path, so a reply larger than 65504 bytes is shifted forward by 48 bytes inside a buffer of capacity equal to 'msg-buffer-size', writing past the end of the heap allocation. A single malicious encrypted query crashes the resolver and lead to denial of service. This vulnerability needs Unbound to be compiled with DNSCrypt support ('--enable-dnscrypt') and the 'dnscrypt:' clause to be configured and enabled for the listening interfaces.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade to a fixed release to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 1.25.2-1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
Unboundto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 1.25.2 - Configuration
If DNSCrypt is not required, do not configure or enable the 'dnscrypt:' clause for the listening interfaces (the vulnerability is relevant only when Unbound is compiled with DNSCrypt support via '--enable-dnscrypt' and the 'dnscrypt:' clause is configured/enabled).
Unbound DNSCrypt configuration dnscrypt listening clause (dnscrypt: ...) = not configured/disabled
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2026-40691?
The severity of CVE-2026-40691 is rated as high, with a score of 7.5.
How do I fix CVE-2026-40691?
To fix CVE-2026-40691, upgrade to a version of Unbound that is beyond 1.25.1.
What impact does CVE-2026-40691 have?
CVE-2026-40691 allows for potential denial of service by sending oversized DNSCrypt replies over TCP.
Which versions of Unbound are affected by CVE-2026-40691?
Unbound versions 1.9.0 through 1.25.1 are affected by CVE-2026-40691.
Who is responsible for the vulnerability CVE-2026-40691?
CVE-2026-40691 affects Unbound, developed by NLnet Labs and used by Microsoft.