CVE-2014-8601
MediumPowerDNS Recursor before 3.6.2 does not limit delegation chaining, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service ("performance degradations") via a large or infinite number of referrals, as demonstrated by resolving domains hosted by ezdns.it.
Published Dec 10, 2014 · Updated Aug 11, 2026 · Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2014-8601, DLA-104-1, DSA-3096-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2014-8601
Key Facts
Patch immediately- CVE-2014-8601 is a medium-severity vulnerability (CVSS 5.0 v2) affecting Recursor (Powerdns), Debian Linux, pdns-recursor (debian).
- It is not listed in any known-exploited vulnerabilities catalog. No public exploit code is known.
- EPSS estimates a 69% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- Fixed versions are available, including pdns-recursor 3.2-4+deb6u1, pdns-recursor 3.3-3+deb7u1, pdns-recursor 3.5.3-1ubuntu0.1.
- Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because it is very likely to be exploited soon.
CVSS v2
5.0
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
EPSS (30-day exploit likelihood)
69%
Higher than 99.3% of all scored CVEs
Exploited in the wild
No known
Not in a known-exploited catalog
Public exploit code
None known
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Description
PowerDNS Recursor before 3.6.2 does not limit delegation chaining, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service ("performance degradations") via a large or infinite number of referrals, as demonstrated by resolving domains hosted by ezdns.it.
Affected Products
15 affected entries in total| Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| RecursorPowerdns | See advisory | 3.6.1 |
| Debian LinuxDebian | 7.0 | n/a |
| pdns-recursordebian | See advisory | 3.6.2-1 |
Patched Releases
pdns-recursor
3.2-4+deb6u1, 3.3-3+deb7u1, 3.5.3-1ubuntu0.1, 3.6.2-1, 4.0.3-1.2
Recursor
3.6.1
Timeline
Publicly disclosed
Dec 10, 2014
Last updated
Aug 11, 2026
Weakness Type
- CWE-399
References
- advisoryhttp://cert.ssi.gouv.fr/site/CERTFR-2014-AVI-512/index.html
- advisoryhttp://doc.powerdns.com/md/security/powerdns-advisory-2014-02/
- advisoryhttps://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2014-8601
- advisoryhttps://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2014-8601
- advisoryhttps://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2014-8601
FAQ
Common Questions.
PowerDNS Recursor before 3.6.2 does not limit delegation chaining, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service ("performance degradations") via a large or infinite number of referrals, as demonstrated by resolving domains hosted by ezdns.it.
Affected: Recursor (Powerdns); Debian Linux versions 7.0; pdns-recursor (debian). The full list is in the CVE brief.
It is not listed in any known-exploited vulnerabilities catalog.
No, it is not currently listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
No public exploit code is known.
Fixed versions are available, including pdns-recursor 3.2-4+deb6u1, pdns-recursor 3.3-3+deb7u1, pdns-recursor 3.5.3-1ubuntu0.1.
Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because it is very likely to be exploited soon.
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