# CVE-2024-43168: Unbound: heap-buffer-overflow in unbound

> A heap-buffer-overflow in Unbound's configuration parsing allows local attackers to cause crashes or execute arbitrary code via crafted input.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 8 Aug 2024
- **Updated:** 3 Nov 2025
- **Also known as:** AZL-47774, AZL-47776, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-43168, GHSA-3jwc-8hp9-37fw, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-43168

## What is CVE-2024-43168?

CVE-2024-43168 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, published on 8 Aug 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

DISPUTE NOTE: this issue does not pose a security risk as it (according to analysis by the original software developer, NLnet Labs) falls within the expected functionality and security controls of the application. Red Hat has made a claim that there is a security risk within Red Hat products. NLnet Labs has no further information about the claim, and suggests that affected Red Hat customers refer to available Red Hat documentation or support channels. ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION: A heap-buffer-overflow flaw was found in the cfg_mark_ports function within Unbound's config_file.c, which can lead to memory corruption. This issue could allow an attacker with local access to provide specially crafted input, potentially causing the application to crash or allowing arbitrary code execution. This could result in a denial of service or unauthorized actions on the system.

Weakness: CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-43168?


## How do I fix CVE-2024-43168?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-43168 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-43168 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-43168 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-43168 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, published on 8 Aug 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-43168 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. 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-2024-43168/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-43168/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-43168
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-43168
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-43168

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-43168/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.