CVE-2026-85501

Retrap: Novel Vulnerabilities to launch Algorithmic Complexity Attacks on DNSSEC

CVE-2026-85501 is fixed in 16 products on 1 platform, first by libunbound2 1.6.7-1ubuntu2.6+esm6, released September 16, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: High.

High
CVSS
7.5
Moderate
Exploitation
None reported
No vendor assessment
CISA KEV
Not listed
Not in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
EPSS
0.0048
41st percentile

Novel vulnerabilities to launch algorithmic complexity attacks on DNSSEC have been researched under the term 'ReTrap'. These result in degradation of service when malicious zones are used to serve the algorithmic complexity vulnerabilities. NLnet Labs Unbound up to and including 1.26.0 is vulnerable to some of them. TagTrap, where the triple(Zone, Algo, KeyTag) matching mechanism introduces a significant attack vector when resolvers handle malicious responses containing numerous mismatched DNSKEY, RRSIG, and DS record. DelegationTrap, where constructing the chain-of-trust requires iterative validation of DNSKEY and DS records from the root zone downward. For deeply nested domains, this results in significant computational overhead. NsecTrap, where responses with excessive invalid NSEC records compel the resolver to validate each one. AdditionalTrap, where Unbound by default would try to DNSSEC validate the ADDITIONAL section as well. This can be exploited to waste validation resources by malicious users.

Where it's fixed

ProductFixed inFixReleased
Linux
libunbound2 · Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) 1.6.7-1ubuntu2.6+esm6 libunbound2 1.6.7-1ubuntu2.6+esm6 Sep 16, 2026
libunbound8 · Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (focal) 1.9.4-2ubuntu1.11+esm3 libunbound8 1.9.4-2ubuntu1.11+esm3 Sep 16, 2026
libunbound8 · Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS (jammy) 1.13.1-1ubuntu5.17 libunbound8 1.13.1-1ubuntu5.17 Sep 16, 2026
libunbound8 · Ubuntu 24.04.5 LTS (noble) 1.19.2-1ubuntu3.12 libunbound8 1.19.2-1ubuntu3.12 Sep 16, 2026
libunbound8 · Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS (resolute) 1.24.2-1ubuntu2.4 libunbound8 1.24.2-1ubuntu2.4 Sep 16, 2026
python-unbound · Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) 1.6.7-1ubuntu2.6+esm6 python-unbound 1.6.7-1ubuntu2.6+esm6 Sep 16, 2026
python-unbound · Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (focal) 1.9.4-2ubuntu1.11+esm3 python-unbound 1.9.4-2ubuntu1.11+esm3 Sep 16, 2026
python3-unbound · Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) 1.6.7-1ubuntu2.6+esm6 python3-unbound 1.6.7-1ubuntu2.6+esm6 Sep 16, 2026
python3-unbound · Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (focal) 1.9.4-2ubuntu1.11+esm3 python3-unbound 1.9.4-2ubuntu1.11+esm3 Sep 16, 2026
python3-unbound · Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS (jammy) 1.13.1-1ubuntu5.17 python3-unbound 1.13.1-1ubuntu5.17 Sep 16, 2026
python3-unbound · Ubuntu 24.04.5 LTS (noble) 1.19.2-1ubuntu3.12 python3-unbound 1.19.2-1ubuntu3.12 Sep 16, 2026
python3-unbound · Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS (resolute) 1.24.2-1ubuntu2.4 python3-unbound 1.24.2-1ubuntu2.4 Sep 16, 2026
python3-unbound · amzn 2023 1.17.1-1.amzn2023.0.15 ALAS2023-2026-3127 Sep 28, 2026
python3-unbound-debuginfo · amzn 2023 1.17.1-1.amzn2023.0.15 ALAS2023-2026-3127 Sep 28, 2026
unbound · Debian 13.5 (trixie) 1.26.1-0+deb13u1 DEBIAN-CVE-2026-85501 Sep 19, 2026
unbound · Debian 14 1.26.1-1 DEBIAN-CVE-2026-85501 Sep 19, 2026
unbound · Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) 1.6.7-1ubuntu2.6+esm6 unbound 1.6.7-1ubuntu2.6+esm6 Sep 16, 2026
unbound · Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (focal) 1.9.4-2ubuntu1.11+esm3 unbound 1.9.4-2ubuntu1.11+esm3 Sep 16, 2026
unbound · Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS (jammy) 1.13.1-1ubuntu5.17 unbound 1.13.1-1ubuntu5.17 Sep 16, 2026
unbound · Ubuntu 24.04.5 LTS (noble) 1.19.2-1ubuntu3.12 unbound 1.19.2-1ubuntu3.12 Sep 16, 2026
unbound · Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS (resolute) 1.24.2-1ubuntu2.4 unbound 1.24.2-1ubuntu2.4 Sep 16, 2026
unbound · amzn 2023 1.17.1-1.amzn2023.0.15 ALAS2023-2026-3127 Sep 28, 2026
unbound · opensuse-leap 16.0 1.26.1-160000.1.1 OPENSUSE-SU-2026:22082-1 Nov 7, 2026
unbound · sles 15.6 1.26.1-150600.23.24.1 SUSE-SU-2026:4620-1 Nov 7, 2026
unbound · sles 15.7 1.26.1-150600.23.24.1 SUSE-SU-2026:4620-1 Nov 7, 2026
unbound · sles 16.0 1.26.1-160000.1.1 SUSE-SU-2026:24226-1 Nov 7, 2026
unbound-anchor · Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) 1.6.7-1ubuntu2.6+esm6 unbound-anchor 1.6.7-1ubuntu2.6+esm6 Sep 16, 2026
unbound-anchor · Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (focal) 1.9.4-2ubuntu1.11+esm3 unbound-anchor 1.9.4-2ubuntu1.11+esm3 Sep 16, 2026
unbound-anchor · Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS (jammy) 1.13.1-1ubuntu5.17 unbound-anchor 1.13.1-1ubuntu5.17 Sep 16, 2026
unbound-anchor · Ubuntu 24.04.5 LTS (noble) 1.19.2-1ubuntu3.12 unbound-anchor 1.19.2-1ubuntu3.12 Sep 16, 2026
unbound-anchor · Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS (resolute) 1.24.2-1ubuntu2.4 unbound-anchor 1.24.2-1ubuntu2.4 Sep 16, 2026
unbound-anchor · amzn 2023 1.17.1-1.amzn2023.0.15 ALAS2023-2026-3127 Sep 28, 2026
unbound-anchor-debuginfo · amzn 2023 1.17.1-1.amzn2023.0.15 ALAS2023-2026-3127 Sep 28, 2026
unbound-debuginfo · amzn 2023 1.17.1-1.amzn2023.0.15 ALAS2023-2026-3127 Sep 28, 2026
unbound-debugsource · amzn 2023 1.17.1-1.amzn2023.0.15 ALAS2023-2026-3127 Sep 28, 2026
unbound-devel · amzn 2023 1.17.1-1.amzn2023.0.15 ALAS2023-2026-3127 Sep 28, 2026
unbound-host · Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) 1.6.7-1ubuntu2.6+esm6 unbound-host 1.6.7-1ubuntu2.6+esm6 Sep 16, 2026
unbound-host · Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (focal) 1.9.4-2ubuntu1.11+esm3 unbound-host 1.9.4-2ubuntu1.11+esm3 Sep 16, 2026
unbound-host · Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS (jammy) 1.13.1-1ubuntu5.17 unbound-host 1.13.1-1ubuntu5.17 Sep 16, 2026
unbound-host · Ubuntu 24.04.5 LTS (noble) 1.19.2-1ubuntu3.12 unbound-host 1.19.2-1ubuntu3.12 Sep 16, 2026
unbound-host · Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS (resolute) 1.24.2-1ubuntu2.4 unbound-host 1.24.2-1ubuntu2.4 Sep 16, 2026
unbound-libs · amzn 2023 1.17.1-1.amzn2023.0.15 ALAS2023-2026-3127 Sep 28, 2026
unbound-libs-debuginfo · amzn 2023 1.17.1-1.amzn2023.0.15 ALAS2023-2026-3127 Sep 28, 2026
unbound-utils · amzn 2023 1.17.1-1.amzn2023.0.15 ALAS2023-2026-3127 Sep 28, 2026
unbound-utils-debuginfo · amzn 2023 1.17.1-1.amzn2023.0.15 ALAS2023-2026-3127 Sep 28, 2026

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