Description
In NLnet Labs Unbound up to and including version 1.26.1, an observable cache-level side-channel can be exposed with 'unwanted-reply-threshold > 0' configurations (not a default configuration). If a response-like UDP datagram reaches the upstream source port currently used by a recursive query, but its TXID does not match any pending query, Unbound counts the packet as an unwanted reply. When the accumulated count reaches the configured threshold, Unbound clears the worker's RRset cache and message cache. This cache clear action does not destroy the current upstream UDP pending query. Therefore, an external observer can distinguish whether a candidate port matches the current upstream source port by checking whether an existing cached item has been cleared. This is a cache side-channel vulnerability that can be used to probe the upstream source port. Although the attack is not feasible on default configurations and the suggested value (10 million) makes it an ureliable attack on a public resolver, in scenarios where the attacker can keep a concurrent query window alive, the attacker can first filter the source port and then perform birthday-style guessing against the TXID, making cache poisoning a feasible attack path.
Published: 2026-10-21
Score: 5.3 Medium
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
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Remediation

Vendor Solution

This issue is fixed starting with version 1.26.2

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History

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In NLnet Labs Unbound up to and including version 1.26.1, an observable cache-level side-channel can be exposed with 'unwanted-reply-threshold > 0' configurations (not a default configuration). If a response-like UDP datagram reaches the upstream source port currently used by a recursive query, but its TXID does not match any pending query, Unbound counts the packet as an unwanted reply. When the accumulated count reaches the configured threshold, Unbound clears the worker's RRset cache and message cache. This cache clear action does not destroy the current upstream UDP pending query. Therefore, an external observer can distinguish whether a candidate port matches the current upstream source port by checking whether an existing cached item has been cleared. This is a cache side-channel vulnerability that can be used to probe the upstream source port. Although the attack is not feasible on default configurations and the suggested value (10 million) makes it an ureliable attack on a public resolver, in scenarios where the attacker can keep a concurrent query window alive, the attacker can first filter the source port and then perform birthday-style guessing against the TXID, making cache poisoning a feasible attack path.
Title Possible cache poisoning vulnerability via a cache side-channel exposed by 'unwanted-reply-threshold'
Weaknesses CWE-205
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N'}


Subscriptions

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cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: NLnet Labs

Published:

Updated: 2026-10-21T08:56:35.696Z

Reserved: 2026-10-14T09:16:14.087Z

Link: CVE-2026-109125

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-10-21T09:17:06.417

Modified: 2026-10-21T09:17:06.417

Link: CVE-2026-109125

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-10-21T11:30:15Z

Weaknesses
  • CWE-205

    Observable Behavioral Discrepancy