CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2024-25629 — c-ares is a C library for asynchronous DNS requests

Medium CVSS 5.5

c-ares is a C library for asynchronous DNS requests. `ares__read_line()` is used to parse local configuration files such as `/etc/resolv.conf`, `/etc/nsswitch.conf`, the `HOSTALIASES` file, and if using a c-ares version prior to 1.27.0, the `/etc/hosts` file. If any of these configuration files has an embedded `NULL` character as the first character in a new line, it can lead to attempting to read memory prior to the start of the given buffer which may result in a crash. This issue is fixed in c-ares 1.27.0. No known workarounds exist.

Severity
Medium
CVSS
5.5 (3.1)
Published
2024-02-23
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
software/application
Weaknesses
CWE-127, CWE-125

Affected products

  • c-ares / c-ares
  • fedoraproject / fedora / 38
  • fedoraproject / fedora / 39
  • fedoraproject / fedora / 40

Matched remediation archetype

Buffer bounds, memory safety, and memory corruption

This catalog composition supplies bounded fallback guidance. Explicitly reviewed curated workflows load with the complete record below.

Check exposure

  • Identify affected native-code versions, build flags, architectures, parsers, codecs, drivers, and input paths in all shipped artifacts.
  • Determine whether untrusted data reaches the affected routine and the process privilege, sandbox, and network exposure.
  • Confirm statically linked, vendored, firmware, and platform-provided copies, not only package-manager records.

Remediate safely

  • Apply the maintained upstream correction or replace the affected component, then rebuild every dependent artifact from clean inputs.
  • Adopt bounds-checked interfaces, validated sizes and integer conversions, clear ownership, and memory-safe components where practical.
  • Enable supported compiler and runtime hardening and add sanitized tests and fuzz regression seeds derived from non-weaponized fixtures.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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