An issue has been found in the API component of PowerDNS Authoritative 4.x up to and including 4.0.4 and 3.x up to and including 3.4.11, where some operations that have an impact on the state of the server are still allowed even though the API has been configured as read-only via the api-readonly keyword. This missing check allows an attacker with valid API credentials to flush the cache, trigger a zone transfer or send a NOTIFY.
This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.1, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction requiring only low-level privileges . The vulnerability impacts limited integrity, and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from powerdns organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
First disclosed in 2018, this vulnerability was reported during a period defined by widespread IoT adoption challenges, mobile security concerns, and the emergence of advanced persistent threat (APT) techniques. Contemporary mitigation strategies focused on secure development practices and third-party component vetting.
2018-01-23T15:29:00.277
2024-11-21T03:14:03.160
Modified
CVSSv3.0: 7.1 (HIGH)
AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:N/I:P/A:P
8.0
4.9
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application | powerdns | authoritative | ≤ 3.4.11 | Yes |
| Application | powerdns | authoritative | ≤ 4.0.4 | Yes |
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For powerdns's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.