# 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.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 16 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2026
- **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, MINI-4mjh-9m6j-6hcp, MINI-5h88-5p89-c9j3, MINI-66rx-j5r8-vh9r, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-76163

## 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 (Reachable Assertion)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-76163?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-76163?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-76163 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-76163 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-76163 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-76163 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: ISC BIND 9. 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-2026-76163/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-76163/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-76163
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-76163
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-76163

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-76163/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.