# CVE-2020-14196: Missing authorization in n/a

> Attackers can bypass access controls to reach the internal web server in PowerDNS Recursor, potentially exposing administrative interfaces.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 1 Jul 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2020-14196, GHSA-fqf5-f2p3-h3j2, MGASA-2020-0286, UBUNTU-CVE-2020-14196, openSUSE-SU-2020:1005-1, openSUSE-SU-2020:1055-1, openSUSE-SU-2020:1101-1

## What is CVE-2020-14196?

CVE-2020-14196 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Powerdns Recursor, published on 1 Jul 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In PowerDNS Recursor versions up to and including 4.3.1, 4.2.2 and 4.1.16, the ACL restricting access to the internal web server is not properly enforced.

Weakness: CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-14196?

It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `pdns-recursor` | SUSE:Package Hub 12 SP1 | All versions | 4.1.12-bp151.4.6.1 |
| `pdns-recursor` | SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP1 | All versions | 4.1.12-bp151.4.6.1 |
| `pdns-recursor` | SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP2 | All versions | 4.1.12-bp152.2.4.1 |
| `pdns-recursor` | SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP2 | All versions | 4.3.2-bp152.2.8.1 |
| `pdns-recursor` | openSUSE:Leap 15.1 | All versions | 4.1.12-bp151.4.6.1 |
| `pdns-recursor` | openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | All versions | 4.1.12-bp151.4.6.1 |

Products: Powerdns Recursor.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-14196?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2020-14196 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-14196 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-2020-14196 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-14196 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Powerdns Recursor, published on 1 Jul 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-14196 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-2020-14196/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-14196/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-14196
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-14196
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-14196

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-14196/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.