How severe is CVE-2016-5427?

CVE-2016-5427 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-2016-5427 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 63% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-5427?

CVE-2016-5427 affects Powerdns Authoritative. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-5427?

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-2016-5427 published?

CVE-2016-5427 was published on 2016-09-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-5427

CVE-2016-5427 is a high-severity vulnerability in Powerdns Authoritative with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 63% places it in the 99th 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: 63% (99th 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 does not properly handle a . (dot) inside labels, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (backend CPU consumption) via a crafted DNS query.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-5427?: PowerDNS (aka pdns) Authoritative Server before 3.4.10 does not properly handle a . (dot) inside labels, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (backend CPU consumption) via a crafted DNS query.
How severe is CVE-2016-5427?: CVE-2016-5427 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-2016-5427 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 63% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-5427?: CVE-2016-5427 affects Powerdns Authoritative. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-5427?: 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-2016-5427 published?: CVE-2016-5427 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…
CVE-2014-0560 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.x before 10.1.12 and 11.x before 11.0.09 on Windows and OS…

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