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NVD / CVE Program· CNA isc

CVE-2016-9778: An error handling certain queries using the nxdomain-redirect feature could cause a REQUIRE assertion failure in db.c

MediumCVSS 5.9 · v3.0—No exploit Fix available

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 25/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 6.8% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 94.1% of all records.
  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
  • Fixed version: bind (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 9.16.20-1.4.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to bind (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 9.16.20-1.4 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

An error in handling certain queries can cause an assertion failure when a server is using the nxdomain-redirect feature to cover a zone for which it is also providing authoritative service. A vulnerable server could be intentionally stopped by an attacker if it was using a configuration that met the criteria for the vulnerability and if the attacker could cause it to accept a query that possessed the required attributes. Please note: This vulnerability affects the "nxdomain-redirect" feature, which is one of two methods of handling NXDOMAIN redirection, and is only available in certain versions of BIND. Redirection using zones of type "redirect" is not affected by this vulnerability. Affects BIND 9.9.8-S1 -> 9.9.8-S3, 9.9.9-S1 -> 9.9.9-S6, 9.11.0-9.11.0-P1.

Published
Jan 16, 2019
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
6.8% · 94th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

25

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
23 / 40 · 5.9 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
2 / 30 · 6.8%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
5.9
CNA · isc
7.5
1.6 point gap

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2016-9778

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
iscbind
netappdata ontap edge
netappsolidfire element os management node

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (isc). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • ISC BIND 9

    • BIND 9 9.9.8-S1 -> 9.9.8-S3, 9.9.9-S1 -> 9.9.9-S6, 9.11.0-9.11.0-P1affected
Affected versions · NVD (5)

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • isc bind9.11.0
  • isc bind9.9.8
  • isc bind9.9.9
  • netapp data ontap edgeall versions
  • netapp solidfire element os management nodeall versions

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
openSUSE:Tumbleweedbindbefore 9.16.20-1.49.16.20-1.4

Same product

isc: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2015-5477named in ISC BIND 9.x before 9.9.7-P2 and 9.10.x before 9.10.2-P3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (REQUIRE assertion…KEV
    90Now
  • CVE-2020-8617A logic error in code which checks TSIG validity can be used to trigger an assertion failure in tsig.c
    60This week
  • CVE-2016-2776buffer.c in named in ISC BIND 9 before 9.9.9-P3, 9.10.x before 9.10.4-P3, and 9.11.x before 9.11.0rc3 does not properly construct…
    60This week

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2016-9147Jan 12, 2017 · named in ISC BIND 9.9.9-P4, 9.9.9-S6, 9.10.4-P4, and 9.11.0-P1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (assertion failure and…
    37Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2016-9444Jan 12, 2017 · named in ISC BIND 9.x before 9.9.9-P5, 9.10.x before 9.10.4-P5, and 9.11.x before 9.11.0-P2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of…
    35Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2017-3135Jan 16, 2019 · Combination of DNS64 and RPZ Can Lead to Crash
    28Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
opensuse:bind9.16.20-1.4 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

Not on record for this CVE: EPSS history · patch commit or PR link · researcher credit · variant or chain candidate · public bounty program.

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
none
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
High
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-388 · 7PK - Errors

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

References

Show all references (4 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records