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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2023-4408 ISC CVE debrief

CVE-2023-4408 is a HIGH severity vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in BIND 9 DNS message parsing code that can cause excessive CPU load through crafted queries and responses. The flaw affects both authoritative servers and recursive resolvers. While this is fundamentally a BIND 9 issue, Siemens SINEC INS is affected as it incorporates vulnerable BIND 9 components. The vulnerability was published on November 12, 2024, with coordinated disclosure through CISA and Siemens security advisories.

Vendor
ISC
Product
SINEC INS
CVSS
HIGH 7.5
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2024-11-12
Original CVE updated
2024-11-12
Advisory published
2024-11-12
Advisory updated
2024-11-12

Who should care

Organizations operating Siemens SINEC INS for industrial network management, DNS infrastructure administrators running affected BIND 9 versions, OT security teams responsible for critical infrastructure DNS services, and security operations centers monitoring for denial-of-service conditions in DNS infrastructure.

Technical summary

The DNS message parsing implementation in BIND 9 `named` contains a code path with excessive computational complexity. This vulnerability can be triggered by crafted DNS queries or responses, causing CPU resource exhaustion. The issue affects both authoritative and recursive DNS server modes. Normal DNS traffic patterns do not trigger the vulnerability, making it a targeted attack vector rather than an incidental reliability issue.

Defensive priority

HIGH

Recommended defensive actions

  • Update Siemens SINEC INS to V1.0 SP2 Update 3 or later version per vendor remediation guidance
  • For BIND 9 deployments outside SINEC INS, upgrade to patched versions: 9.16.46+, 9.18.22+, or 9.19.20+
  • Monitor DNS server CPU utilization for anomalous spikes that may indicate exploitation attempts
  • Implement network segmentation to limit exposure of DNS infrastructure to untrusted networks
  • Apply defense-in-depth practices for industrial control systems as recommended by CISA
  • Review and restrict DNS query sources where possible to reduce attack surface

Evidence notes

The vulnerability stems from overly high computational complexity in DNS message parsing code within `named`. Normal DNS traffic does not trigger the issue, but specially crafted queries and responses can exploit this flaw to cause excessive CPU consumption. Affected BIND 9 versions span multiple release branches: 9.0.0 through 9.16.45, 9.18.0 through 9.18.21, 9.19.0 through 9.19.19, plus corresponding S1 (subscription) versions.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2023-4408 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-4408

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2023-4408 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-4408

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

  • Source item URL

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cisagov/CSAF/develop/csaf_files/OT/white/2024/icsa-24-319-08.json

    cisa_csaf

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/csaf/ssa-915275.json

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-915275.html

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-24-319-08

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ics/alerts/ICS-ALERT-10-301-01

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/ics-recommended-practices

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/topics/industrial-control-systems

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://us-cert.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/recommended_practices/NCCIC_ICS-CERT_Defense_in_Depth_2016_S508C.pdf

    Reference

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.