Unbound 1.25.1 libunbound crash via UnwantedReplyThreshold
CVE-2026-44621 Published on July 22, 2026
Libunbound applications configured with 'unwanted-reply-threshold' could eventually be abruptly terminated
With NLnet Labs Unbound up to and including version 1.25.1, applications using libunbound and configured with 'unwanted-reply-threshold', could eventually be abruptly terminated if the threshold is reached and libunbound needs to call 'libworker_alloc_cleanup' since the function is absent from the function call allow list. When an application using libunbound sets 'unwanted-reply-threshold' to any non-zero value and the iterator queries an authoritative that replies with enough wrong-transaction-ID UDP datagrams to cross the threshold, the 'libworker_alloc_cleanup' will eventually be called. Since the function is absent from the function call allow list, this leads to a fatal exit of libunbound and eventual termination of the embedding application.Unbound itself is not affected since its relevant function 'worker_alloc_cleanup' is registed in the allow list and proceeds to perform the documented cache flush.
Timeline
Issue reported by Qifan Zhang
NLnet Labs shares patch 23 days later.
Qifan Zhang verifies patch 3 days later.
Fixes released with version 1.25.2 39 days later.
Weakness Type
Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions
The software does not check or incorrectly checks for unusual or exceptional conditions that are not expected to occur frequently during day to day operation of the software.
Affected Versions
NLnet Labs Unbound:- Before 1.25.2 is affected.
Exploit Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) scores estimate the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. The percentile shows you how this score compares to all other vulnerabilities.