CVE-2026-5172
HIGH
Published May 11, 2026
Modified May 13, 2026
Description
A buffer overflow in dnsmasq’s extract_addresses() function allows an attacker to trigger a heap out-of-bounds read and crash by exploiting a malformed DNS response, enabling extract_name() to advance the pointer past the record’s end.
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CVSS v3.1 Score
7.3
HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
EPSS — Exploit Prediction
0.0002
Probability of exploitation
0.07%
Percentile rank
EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.
References
Other References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-5172? +
A buffer overflow in dnsmasq’s extract_addresses() function allows an attacker to trigger a heap out-of-bounds read and crash by exploiting a malformed DNS response, enabling extract_name() to advance the pointer past the record’s end. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.3 (HIGH).
How severe is CVE-2026-5172? +
CVE-2026-5172 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.3 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0002, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.
How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-5172? +
You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.
