CVE-2026-33610: A rogue primary server may cause file descriptor exhaustion and eventually a denial of service, when a PowerDN

Routine

MEDIUM 5.9REMOTEUPGRADE

CVE-2026-33610 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.9) affecting authoritative. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

A rogue primary server may cause file descriptor exhaustion and eventually a denial of service, when a PowerDNS secondary server forwards a DNS update request to it.

Why this priority

Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.9 (Medium)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	High
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	0.4% (top 67%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-400
Published	2026-04-22
Last modified	2026-10-26

Publisher (CNA): Open-Xchange · Vendor: powerdns

Last updated 2026-10-26 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2026-04-22 14:16 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-10-26 00:10 UTCUpdated Record last modified

powerdns authoritative UPGRADE

Affected: >= 4.9.0 and < 4.9.14 · >= 5.0.0 and < 5.0.4

Fixed in: 4.9.14, 5.0.4

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 4.9.0

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy authoritative || rpm -q authoritative || authoritative --version

2. UPGRADE to 4.9.14 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade authoritative

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade authoritative

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE to a release before 4.9.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison authoritative sudo apt install authoritative=<VERSION_BEFORE_4.9.0> sudo apt-mark hold authoritative

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list authoritative sudo dnf downgrade authoritative-<VERSION_BEFORE_4.9.0> sudo dnf versionlock add authoritative

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2026-33610?

authoritative: upgrade to 4.9.14, 5.0.4. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2026-33610 being exploited?

CVE-2026-33610 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2026-33610 affect?

CVE-2026-33610 affects authoritative. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.9). A rogue primary server may cause file descriptor exhaustion and eventually a denial of service, when a PowerDNS secondary server forwards a DNS update request to it.

How urgent is CVE-2026-33610?

Priority 34/100. Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

Related CVEs

CVE-2026-33609 MEDIUM 5.3 UPGRADE Incomplete escaping of LDAP queries when running with 8bit-dns enabled allows users to perform queries of inte

References

← Back to latest CVEs