CVE-2017-14492 — dnsmasq
CRITICALCVE-2017-14492 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) Buffer Overflow vulnerability. 3 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. No vendor fix is recorded yet; mitigation options are listed below.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2017-14492 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). In the shaded patch-first corner (EPSS 50%+, CVSS 7.0+).
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 394,803 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the ≥ 90% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Description
Heap-based buffer overflow in dnsmasq before 2.78 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or execute arbitrary code via a crafted IPv6 router advertisement request.
Affected Products
ubuntu linuxcanonicaldebian linuxdebianenterprise linux desktopredhatenterprise linux serverredhatenterprise linux workstationredhatdnsmasqthekelleysResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Dnsmasq < 2.78 - Heap Overflow
by Google Security Research · Oct 2, 2017
Detection & mitigation playbook
VulnerabilityDetect
Identify every host running the affected component and compare the installed build against the fixed version below — for source-built or distro-packaged software the version string, not a lockfile, is the source of truth (`dpkg -l`, `rpm -q`, or the binary's own `--version`).
Remediation status
No fixed release is recorded for CVE-2017-14492 yet. Track the upstream advisory, and apply the exposure-reduction steps below in the meantime.
Mitigate without a patch
Constrain what reaches the vulnerable code: limit the size and shape of untrusted input, isolate the affected component in a sandboxed or least-privileged process, and enable the platform's memory-safety mitigations (ASLR, stack protector, hardened allocator) so an out-of-bounds access is more likely to fail closed than to be exploitable.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
Red Hat OpenStack Platform includes the dnsmasq-utils RPM which does not contain this flaw's affected code-paths; Red Hat OpenStack Platform is therefore listed as not affected. However, because all versions of Red Hat OpenStack Platform are based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, all Red Hat OpenStack Platform users…
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | dnsmasq-0:2.76-2.el7_4.2 | RHSA-2017:2836 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.2 Extended Update Support | dnsmasq-0:2.66-14.el7_2.2 | RHSA-2017:2837 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2017-14492 in your dependencies?
Find it across , including transitive dependencies.