How severe is CVE-2015-8899?

CVE-2015-8899 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2015-8899 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (82nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2015-8899?

CVE-2015-8899 primarily affects Thekelleys Dnsmasq. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2015-8899?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2015-8899 published?

CVE-2015-8899 was published on 2016-06-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2015-8899

CVE-2015-8899 is a high-severity vulnerability in Thekelleys Dnsmasq with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-20.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (82nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Thekelleys Dnsmasq
Published: 2016-06-30
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Dnsmasq before 2.76 allows remote servers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a reply with an empty DNS address that has an (1) A or (2) AAAA record defined locally.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2015-8899?: Dnsmasq before 2.76 allows remote servers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a reply with an empty DNS address that has an (1) A or (2) AAAA record defined locally.
How severe is CVE-2015-8899?: CVE-2015-8899 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2015-8899 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (82nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2015-8899?: CVE-2015-8899 primarily affects Thekelleys Dnsmasq. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2015-8899?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2015-8899 published?: CVE-2015-8899 was published on 2016-06-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:15.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:thekelleys:dnsmasq:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Thekelleys Dnsmasq

CVE-2021-45957 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Dnsmasq 2.86 has a heap-based buffer overflow in answer_request (called from FuzzAnswerTheRequest and fuzz_rfc1035.c).…
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CVE-2021-45955 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Dnsmasq 2.86 has a heap-based buffer overflow in resize_packet (called from FuzzResizePacket and fuzz_rfc1035.c)…
CVE-2021-45954 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Dnsmasq 2.86 has a heap-based buffer overflow in extract_name (called from answer_auth and FuzzAuth). NOTE: the…
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