Fix OOB heap write in blockdata_read()

A flaw in the blockdata_read() function allows an attacker to overflow
heap buffers. If memory allocation fails whilst reading data from
an IPC pipe, some data is left unread in the pipe. This has the effect of
desynchronising further reads from the pipe and allows an attacker
to overflow a heap buffer.

Note that the attack depends on running the dnsmasq process out of memory
so that calls to malloc() begin to fail. This is difficult to do on
most platforms, unless a small ulimit is set on the size of the
dnsmasq process. This makes practical attacks somewhat difficult.

Thanks to Michel Belleau for finding and characterising this vulnerability.
This commit is contained in:
Simon Kelley committed 2026-10-20 23:19:11 +01:00
1 parent 145abca7f6
commit 738c049988
2 files changed
+68 -34

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@@ -1039,9 +1039,18 @@ int cache_recv_insert(time_t now, int fd)
unsigned short class = C_IN;
struct blockdata *block = NULL;
if ((flags & F_RR) && !(flags & F_NEG) && (flags & F_KEYTAG)
&& !(block = addr.rrblock.rrdata = blockdata_read(fd, addr.rrblock.datalen)))
continue;
/* Note that blockdata_read() can return NULL either
because the stream ended, OR memory allocation failed.
We continue here rather than returning 0 to finish draining
the pipe in the second case. If the stream ended, the read
of the next length at the top of the loop will fail
and we'll return 0 there. */
if (flags & F_RR)
{
if (!(flags & F_NEG) && (flags & F_KEYTAG) &&
!(block = addr.rrblock.rrdata = blockdata_read(fd, addr.rrblock.datalen)))
continue;
}
#ifdef HAVE_DNSSEC
else if (flags & F_DNSKEY)
{