CVE-2026-40691: Packet of death for DNSCrypt over TCP

Published Jul 22, 2026
·
Updated

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

3 affected componentsFixes available
Nlnet Labs Unbound>=1.9.0<=1.25.1
Microsoft azl3 unbound 1.25.1-1<1.25.2-1
1.25.2-1
nlnetlabs Unbound>=1.9.0<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 Unbound to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 1.25.2
  3. 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

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-2026-40691?

The severity of CVE-2026-40691 is rated as high, with a score of 7.5.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-40691?

To fix CVE-2026-40691, upgrade to a version of Unbound that is beyond 1.25.1.

3

What impact does CVE-2026-40691 have?

CVE-2026-40691 allows for potential denial of service by sending oversized DNSCrypt replies over TCP.

4

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.

5

Who is responsible for the vulnerability CVE-2026-40691?

CVE-2026-40691 affects Unbound, developed by NLnet Labs and used by Microsoft.

Contact

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