REDHAT-BUG-2466905: High severity CoreDNS CoreDNS vulnerability
CoreDNS is a DNS server written in Go. In versions prior to 1.14.3, the gRPC, QUIC, DoH, and DoH3 transport implementations incorrectly handle TSIG authentication. For gRPC and QUIC, the server checks whether the TSIG key name exists in the configuration but never calls dns.TsigVerify() to validate the HMAC. If the key name matches a configured key, the tsigStatus field remains nil and the tsig plugin treats the request as successfully authenticated regardless of the MAC value. For DoH and DoH3, the issue is more severe: the DoHWriter.TsigStatus() method unconditionally returns nil, and the server never inspects the TSIG record at all. Any request containing a TSIG record is treated as authenticated over DoH and DoH3, even if the key name is invalid and the MAC is arbitrary.
An unauthenticated network attacker can exploit this to bypass TSIG-protected functionality such as AXFR/IXFR zone transfers, dynamic DNS updates, or other TSIG-gated plugin behavior. The DoH and DoH3 variants have a lower exploitation bar because the attacker does not need to know a valid TSIG key name.
This issue has been fixed in version 1.14.3. As a workaround, disable gRPC, QUIC, DoH, and DoH3 listeners where TSIG authentication is required, or restrict network-level access to affected transport ports to trusted sources only.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
corednsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 1.14.3 - Configuration
Disable the gRPC listener where TSIG authentication is required (workaround mentioned for affected TSIG-gated functionality).
CoreDNS gRPC listener enabled = false - Configuration
Disable the QUIC listener where TSIG authentication is required (workaround mentioned for affected TSIG-gated functionality).
CoreDNS QUIC listener enabled = false - Configuration
Disable the DoH listener where TSIG authentication is required (workaround mentioned for affected TSIG-gated functionality).
CoreDNS DoH (DNS-over-HTTPS) listener enabled = false - Configuration
Disable the DoH3 listener where TSIG authentication is required (workaround mentioned for affected TSIG-gated functionality).
CoreDNS DoH3 (DNS-over-HTTPS/3) listener enabled = false - Compensating control
If you cannot disable listeners, restrict network-level access to the affected transport ports (gRPC, QUIC, DoH, DoH3) to trusted sources only.
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of REDHAT-BUG-2466905?
The severity of REDHAT-BUG-2466905 is classified as high, with a score of 7.
How do I fix REDHAT-BUG-2466905?
To resolve REDHAT-BUG-2466905, upgrade CoreDNS to version 1.14.3 or later.
What issue does REDHAT-BUG-2466905 describe?
REDHAT-BUG-2466905 describes a vulnerability in CoreDNS where the gRPC, QUIC, DoH, and DoH3 implementations incorrectly handle TSIG authentication.
Which versions of CoreDNS are affected by REDHAT-BUG-2466905?
CoreDNS versions prior to 1.14.3 are affected by REDHAT-BUG-2466905.
What components are involved in REDHAT-BUG-2466905 vulnerability?
The components involved in REDHAT-BUG-2466905 include the gRPC, QUIC, DoH, and DoH3 transport implementations of CoreDNS.