# CVE-2017-15093: Code injection in PowerDNS Recursor

> An authenticated user can inject configuration directives into PowerDNS Recursor when api-config-dir is enabled, potentially leading to code execution.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 23 Jan 2018
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2017-15093, GHSA-jc23-xg6p-84pp, UBUNTU-CVE-2017-15093

## What is CVE-2017-15093?

CVE-2017-15093 is a medium-severity code injection vulnerability in Powerdns Recursor, published on 23 Jan 2018. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

When api-config-dir is set to a non-empty value, which is not the case by default, the API in PowerDNS Recursor 4.x up to and including 4.0.6 and 3.x up to and including 3.7.4 allows an authorized user to update the Recursor's ACL by adding and removing netmasks, and to configure forward zones. It was discovered that the new netmask and IP addresses of forwarded zones were not sufficiently validated, allowing an authenticated user to inject new configuration directives into the Recursor's configuration.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-15093?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Powerdns Recursor.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-15093?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2017-15093 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-15093 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Powerdns Recursor

- [CVE-2009-4009](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-4009/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2020-10030](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-10030/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2025-59023](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-59023/): Crafted delegations or IP fragments can poison cached delegations in Recursor (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2025-59030](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-59030/): Insufficient validation of incoming notifies over TCP can lead to a denial of service in Recursor (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2023-22617](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-22617/): Denial of service in n/a (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-15093 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-15093 is a medium-severity code injection vulnerability in Powerdns Recursor, published on 23 Jan 2018. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-15093 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Powerdns Recursor. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-15093/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-15093/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-15093
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-15093
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-15093

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-15093/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.