CVE-2020-12667
Knot Resolver before 5.1.1 allows traffic amplification via a crafted DNS answer from an attacker...
Knot Resolver before 5.1.1 allows traffic amplification via a crafted DNS answer from an attacker-controlled server, aka an "NXNSAttack" issue. This is triggered by random subdomains in the NSDNAME in NS records.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
7.5
Knot Resolver before 5.1.1 allows traffic amplification via a crafted DNS answer from an attacker-controlled server, aka an "NXNSAttack" issue. This is triggered by random subdomains in the NSDNAME in NS records.
- Record
CVE-2020-12667- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 5.0 Medium
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P - Weakness
- CWE-400
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List
7.5
Knot Resolver before 5.1.1 allows traffic amplification via a crafted DNS answer from an attacker-controlled server, aka an "NXNSAttack" issue. This is triggered by random subdomains in the NSDNAME in NS records.
- Record
CVE-2020-12667- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-400
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-4965
7.5
Knot Resolver before 5.1.1 allows traffic amplification via a crafted DNS answer from an attacker-controlled server, aka an "NXNSAttack" issue. This is triggered by random subdomains in the NSDNAME in NS records.
- Record
EUVD-2020-4965- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-2gpj-6wgq-8636
7.5
Knot Resolver before 5.1.1 allows traffic amplification via a crafted DNS answer from an attacker...
Knot Resolver before 5.1.1 allows traffic amplification via a crafted DNS answer from an attacker-controlled server, aka an "NXNSAttack" issue. This is triggered by random subdomains in the NSDNAME in NS records.
- Record
GHSA-2gpj-6wgq-8636- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-400
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVALPINE-CVE-2020-12667
7.5
Knot Resolver before 5.1.1 allows traffic amplification via a crafted DNS answer from an attacker-controlled server, aka an "NXNSAttack" issue. This is triggered by random subdomains in the NSDNAME in NS records.
- Record
ALPINE-CVE-2020-12667- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-03
OSV
7.5
Knot Resolver before 5.1.1 allows traffic amplification via a crafted DNS answer from an attacker-controlled server, aka an "NXNSAttack" issue. This is triggered by random subdomains in the NSDNAME in NS records.
- Record
CVE-2020-12667- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2020-12667
7.5
Knot Resolver before 5.1.1 allows traffic amplification via a crafted DNS answer from an attacker-controlled server, aka an "NXNSAttack" issue. This is triggered by random subdomains in the NSDNAME in NS records.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2020-12667- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2020-12667
7.5
Knot Resolver before 5.1.1 allows traffic amplification via a crafted DNS answer from an attacker-controlled server, aka an "NXNSAttack" issue. This is triggered by random subdomains in the NSDNAME in NS records.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2020-12667- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUSN-7047-1 No score
knot-resolver vulnerabilities
Vladimír Čunát discovered that Knot Resolver incorrectly handled input during DNSSEC validation. A remote attacker could possibly use this issue to bypass certain validations. (CVE-2019-10190)
Vladimír Čunát discovered that Knot Resolver incorrectly handled input during DNSSEC validation. A remote attacker could possibly use this issue to downgrade DNSSEC-secure domains to a DNSSEC-insecure state, resulting in a domain hijacking attack. (CVE-2019-10191)
Vladimír Čunát discovered that Knot Resolver incorrectly handled certain DNS replies with many resource records. An attacker could possibly use this issue to consume system resources, resulting in a denial of service. (CVE-2019-19331)
Lior Shafir, Yehuda Afek, and Anat Bremler-Barr discovered that Knot Resolver incorrectly handled certain queries. A remote attacker could use this issue to perform an amplification attack directed at a target. (CVE-2020-12667)
- Record
USN-7047-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
knot-resolverAlpine:v3.11 |
before 4.3.0-r3 | 4.3.0-r3 |
knot-resolverAlpine:v3.12 |
before 5.1.1-r0 | 5.1.1-r0 |
knot-resolverAlpine:v3.13 |
before 5.1.1-r0 | 5.1.1-r0 |
knot-resolverAlpine:v3.14 |
before 5.1.1-r0 | 5.1.1-r0 |
knot-resolverAlpine:v3.15 |
before 5.1.1-r0 | 5.1.1-r0 |
knot-resolverAlpine:v3.16 |
before 5.1.1-r0 | 5.1.1-r0 |
knot-resolverAlpine:v3.17 |
before 5.1.1-r0 | 5.1.1-r0 |
knot-resolverAlpine:v3.18 |
before 5.1.1-r0 | 5.1.1-r0 |
knot-resolverAlpine:v3.19 |
before 5.1.1-r0 | 5.1.1-r0 |
knot-resolverAlpine:v3.20 |
before 5.1.1-r0 | 5.1.1-r0 |
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| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
knot-resolverAlpine:v3.21 |
before 5.1.1-r0 | 5.1.1-r0 |
knot-resolverAlpine:v3.22 |
before 5.1.1-r0 | 5.1.1-r0 |
knot-resolverAlpine:v3.23 |
before 5.1.1-r0 | 5.1.1-r0 |
knot-resolverAlpine:v3.24 |
before 5.1.1-r0 | 5.1.1-r0 |
knot-resolverDebian:12 |
before 5.1.1-0.1 | 5.1.1-0.1 |
knot-resolverDebian:13 |
before 5.1.1-0.1 | 5.1.1-0.1 |
knot-resolverDebian:14 |
before 5.1.1-0.1 | 5.1.1-0.1 |
knot-resolverDebian:10 |
before 3.2.1-3+deb10u2, plus listed versions 3.2.1-33.2.1-3+deb10u1 |
3.2.1-3+deb10u2 |
knot-resolverUbuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1.0.0~beta2-123-g6134920-11.0.0~beta3-11.0.0~beta3-1ubuntu0.1~esm1 |
None known |
knot-resolverUbuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1.3.3-11.5.0-41.5.1-11.5.2-12.0.0-3 Show 4 moreShow less2.1.0-12.1.0-22.1.1-12.1.1-1ubuntu0.1~esm2 |
None known |
knot-resolverUbuntu:20.04:LTS |
before 3.2.1-3ubuntu2.2, plus listed versions 3.2.1-33.2.1-3ubuntu13.2.1-3ubuntu23.2.1-3ubuntu2.1 |
3.2.1-3ubuntu2.2 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| affected, aliases, references | OSV | |
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2020-12667 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in Nic Knot Resolver, published May 19, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 2.61%, the 85th percentile. Fixed in knot-resolver 4.3.0-r3.
References
en.blog.nic.cz/2020/05/19/nxnsattack-upgrade-resolvers-to-stop-new-kind-of-random-subdomain-attack
knot-resolver.cz/2020-05-19-knot-resolver-5.1.1.html
openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/05/19/2
cyber-security-group.cs.tau.ac.il
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/76Y4FITMOH6RVPWAANGV7NB2ZHPJJGDQ
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/04/msg00017.html
Show 12 moreShow less
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-12667
nxnsattack.com
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/76Y4FITMOH6RVPWAANGV7NB2ZHPJJGDQ
github.com/advisories/GHSA-2gpj-6wgq-8636
security.alpinelinux.org/vuln/CVE-2020-12667
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2020-12667
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2020-12667
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-12667
ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7047-1
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2019-10190
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2019-10191
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2019-19331