CVE-2020-12244

Name: CVE-2020-12244
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-05-19T14:15:11.097+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.5/10EPSS 2.43%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-12244 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.5/10 on the CVSS scale. An issue has been found in PowerDNS Recursor 4.1.0 through 4.3.0 where records in the answer section of a NXDOMAIN response lacking an SOA were not properly validated in SyncRes::processAnswer, allowing an attacker to bypass DNSSEC validation.. EPSS estimates a 2.43% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An issue has been found in PowerDNS Recursor 4.1.0 through 4.3.0 where records in the answer section of a NXDOMAIN response lacking an SOA were not properly validated in SyncRes::processAnswer, allowing an attacker to bypass DNSSEC validation.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

EPSS Probability

2.43%

82.2th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-347

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Powerdns	Recursor	>= 4.1.0, <= 4.3.0	—
Fedoraproject	Fedora	31	—
Fedoraproject	Fedora	32	—
Debian	Debian Linux	10.0	—
Opensuse	Backports Sle	15.0	Sp1
Opensuse	Leap	15.1	—

References

http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-05/msg00052.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/05/19/3Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://doc.powerdns.com/recursor/security-advisories/powerdns-advisory-2020-02.htmlVendor Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/NMP72NJGKBWR5WEBXAWX5KSLQUDFTG6S/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/PS4ZN5XGENYNFKX7QIIOUCQQHXE37GJF/
https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4691Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-05/msg00052.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/05/19/3Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://doc.powerdns.com/recursor/security-advisories/powerdns-advisory-2020-02.htmlVendor Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/NMP72NJGKBWR5WEBXAWX5KSLQUDFTG6S/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/PS4ZN5XGENYNFKX7QIIOUCQQHXE37GJF/
https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4691Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: May 19, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-12244?

How severe is CVE-2020-12244?

CVE-2020-12244 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 2.43% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-12244?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2020-12244?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST