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F5 Networks BIG-IP : NLnet Labs Unbound vulnerability (K000162784)

🗓️ 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 20 Views

F5 BIG-IP vulnerable to NLnet Unbound CVE-2026-42534 up to 1.25.0, risking denial of service.

Related
Refs
Code
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
#
# The descriptive text and package checks in this plugin were
# extracted from F5 Networks BIG-IP Solution K000162784.
#
# @NOAGENT@
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(333374);
  script_version("1.1");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2026/08/07");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2026-42534");

  script_name(english:"F5 Networks BIG-IP : NLnet Labs Unbound vulnerability (K000162784)");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The remote device is missing a vendor-supplied security patch.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The version of F5 Networks BIG-IP installed on the remote host is prior to tested version. It is, therefore, affected by
a vulnerability as referenced in the K000162784 advisory.

    NLnet Labs Unbound up to and including version 1.25.0 has a vulnerability in the jostle logic that could
    defeat its purpose and degrade resolution performance. Retransmits of the same query could renew the age
    of slow running queries and not allow the jostle logic to see them as aged and potential targets for
    replacement with new queries. An adversary who can query a vulnerable Unbound and who can control a domain
    name server that replies slowly and/or maliciously to Unbound's queries can exploit the vulnerability and
    degrade the resolution performance of Unbound. When Unbound's 'num-queries-per-thread' reaches its limit,
    the jostle logic kicks in. When a new query comes in, half of the available queries that are also slow to
    resolve are candidates for replacement. The vulnerability then happens because duplicate queries that need
    resolution would skew the aging result by using the timestamp of the latest duplicate query instead of the
    original one that started the resolution effort. Cache and local data response performance remains
    unaffected. Coordinated attacks could raise this to a denial of resolution service. Unbound 1.25.1
    contains a patch with a fix to attach an initial, non-updatable start time for incoming queries that allow
    the jostle logic to work as intended.(CVE-2026-42534)

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the F5 Networks BIG-IP security advisory.

Note that Nessus has not tested for this issue but has instead relied only on the application's self-reported version
number.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K000162784");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"The vendor has acknowledged the vulnerability, but no solution has been provided.
Refer to the vendor for remediation guidance.");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:OF/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:O/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss4_vector", value:"CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss4_threat_vector", value:"CVSS:4.0/E:U");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2026-42534");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2026/05/20");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2026/08/07");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"potential_vulnerability", value:"true");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/a:f5:big-ip_domain_name_system");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/a:f5:big-ip_global_traffic_manager");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/h:f5:big-ip");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"F5 Networks Local Security Checks");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2026 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("f5_bigip_detect.nbin");
  script_require_keys("Host/local_checks_enabled", "Host/BIG-IP/hotfix", "Host/BIG-IP/modules", "Host/BIG-IP/version", "Settings/ParanoidReport");

  exit(0);
}


include('f5_func.inc');

if ( ! get_kb_item('Host/local_checks_enabled') ) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
var version = get_kb_item('Host/BIG-IP/version');
if ( ! version ) audit(AUDIT_OS_NOT, 'F5 Networks BIG-IP');
if ( isnull(get_kb_item('Host/BIG-IP/hotfix')) ) audit(AUDIT_KB_MISSING, 'Host/BIG-IP/hotfix');
if ( ! get_kb_item('Host/BIG-IP/modules') ) audit(AUDIT_KB_MISSING, 'Host/BIG-IP/modules');

if (report_paranoia < 2) audit(AUDIT_PARANOID);

var sol = 'K000162784';
var vmatrix = {
  'DNS': {
    'affected': [
      '21.1.0','17.5.0-17.5.1','17.1.0-17.1.3'
    ],
  }
};

if (bigip_is_affected(vmatrix:vmatrix, sol:sol))
{
  var extra = NULL;
  if (report_verbosity > 0) extra = bigip_report_get();
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_WARNING,
      extra      : extra
  );
}
else
{
  var tested = bigip_get_tested_modules();
  var audit_extra = 'For BIG-IP module(s) ' + tested + ',';
  if (tested) audit(AUDIT_INST_VER_NOT_VULN, audit_extra, version);
  else audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'running the affected module DNS');
}

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07 Aug 2026 00:00Current
5.4Medium risk
Vulners AI Score5.4
CVSS 3.15.3 - 7.5
CVSS 46.9
EPSS0.00583
SSVC
20