CVE-2020-25829

Name: CVE-2020-25829
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-10-16T06:15:12.357+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.5/10EPSS 6.46%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-25829 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.5/10 on the CVSS scale. An issue has been found in PowerDNS Recursor before 4.1.18, 4.2.x before 4.2.5, and 4.3.x before 4.3.5. A remote attacker can cause the cached records for a given name to be updated to the Bogus DNSSEC validation state, instead of their actual DNSSEC Secure state, via a DNS ANY query. EPSS estimates a 6.46% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An issue has been found in PowerDNS Recursor before 4.1.18, 4.2.x before 4.2.5, and 4.3.x before 4.3.5. A remote attacker can cause the cached records for a given name to be updated to the Bogus DNSSEC validation state, instead of their actual DNSSEC Secure state, via a DNS ANY query. This results in a denial of service for installation that always validate (dnssec=validate), and for clients requesting validation when on-demand validation is enabled (dnssec=process).

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

6.46%

92.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Powerdns	Recursor	< 4.1.18	—
Powerdns	Recursor	>= 4.2.0, < 4.2.5	—
Powerdns	Recursor	>= 4.3.0, < 4.3.5	—
Opensuse	Backports Sle	15.0	Sp1
Opensuse	Leap	15.1	—
Opensuse	Leap	15.2	—

References

http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-10/msg00036.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://docs.powerdns.com/recursor/security-advisories/powerdns-advisory-2020-07.htmlVendor Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202012-19Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-10/msg00036.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://docs.powerdns.com/recursor/security-advisories/powerdns-advisory-2020-07.htmlVendor Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202012-19Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Oct 16, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-25829?

How severe is CVE-2020-25829?

CVE-2020-25829 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 6.46% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-25829?

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-2020-25829?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST