How severe is CVE-2016-6172?

CVE-2016-6172 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.8, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-6172 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-6172?

CVE-2016-6172 primarily affects Powerdns Authoritative Server. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-6172?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2016-6172 published?

CVE-2016-6172 was published on 2016-09-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-6172

CVE-2016-6172 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Powerdns Authoritative Server with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.8. 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-400.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.8)
CVSS v2: 7.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (89th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-400
Affected product: Powerdns Authoritative Server
Published: 2016-09-26
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

PowerDNS (aka pdns) Authoritative Server before 4.0.1 allows remote primary DNS servers to cause a denial of service (memory exhaustion and secondary DNS server crash) via a large (1) AXFR or (2) IXFR response.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-6172?: PowerDNS (aka pdns) Authoritative Server before 4.0.1 allows remote primary DNS servers to cause a denial of service (memory exhaustion and secondary DNS server crash) via a large (1) AXFR or (2) IXFR response.
How severe is CVE-2016-6172?: CVE-2016-6172 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.8, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-6172 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-6172?: CVE-2016-6172 primarily affects Powerdns Authoritative Server. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-6172?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2016-6172 published?: CVE-2016-6172 was published on 2016-09-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:42.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:13.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:powerdns:authoritative_server:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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