How severe is CVE-2016-5426?

CVE-2016-5426 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-2016-5426 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 31% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-5426?

CVE-2016-5426 affects Powerdns Authoritative. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-5426?

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-2016-5426 published?

CVE-2016-5426 was published on 2016-09-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-5426

CVE-2016-5426 is a high-severity vulnerability in Powerdns Authoritative with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 31% places it in the 98th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-399.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 31% (98th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-399
Affected product: Powerdns Authoritative
Published: 2016-09-21
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

PowerDNS (aka pdns) Authoritative Server before 3.4.10 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (backend CPU consumption) via a long qname.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-5426?: PowerDNS (aka pdns) Authoritative Server before 3.4.10 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (backend CPU consumption) via a long qname.
How severe is CVE-2016-5426?: CVE-2016-5426 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-2016-5426 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 31% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-5426?: CVE-2016-5426 affects Powerdns Authoritative. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-5426?: 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-2016-5426 published?: CVE-2016-5426 was published on 2016-09-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:powerdns:authoritative:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Other CWE-399 (Resource Management Errors) vulnerabilities

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CVE-2015-0339 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2015-0335 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2015-0333 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2014-4121 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 SP2, 3.5, 3.5.1, 4, 4.5, 4.5.1, and 4.5.2 does not properly parse internationalized…
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