CVE-2026-76163 named aborts on a TKEY query when the user configuration has no global options statement
An attacker can cause a denial of service in BIND by sending a TKEY query when the configuration lacks a global options block.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-76163?
CVE-2026-76163 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in ISC BIND 9, published on 16 Sep 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
If BIND is loaded with a "`named.conf`" file that contains no global "`options`" block, an attacker can send a query of QTYPE TKEY which may cause an assertion failure and subsequent unexpected program exit. This issue affects BIND 9 versions 9.20.0 through 9.20.27, 9.21.0 through 9.21.25, and 9.20.9-S1 through 9.20.27-S1.
Weakness: CWE-617
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-76163?
How do I fix CVE-2026-76163?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.
Is CVE-2026-76163 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-76163 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as ALPINE-CVE-2026-76163, AZL-103350, BELL-CVE-2026-76163, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-76163, ECHO-2b19-d51c-2494, GHSA-p6fx-3c9f-wcc9 and 4 more.