Critical 9.8Published Oct 3, 2016

CVE-2016-5180Heap-based buffer overflow in the ares_create_query function in c-ares 1.x before 1.12.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write) or possibly execute arbitrary code…

Updated under an hour ago (Nov 2, 2026, 12:10 AM ET)

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No exploitation reported and no EPSS estimate yet.

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Heap-based buffer overflow in the ares_create_query function in c-ares 1.x before 1.12.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a hostname with an escaped trailing dot.

CVSS: 9.8 CRITICAL (v3.1, NVD)CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness (CWE): CWE-787
Known exploited: Not in CISA's KEV catalog
EPSS (exploitation in the next 30 days): Not loaded for this CVE
Assigned by: Not given
NVD analysis: Modified
Record last updated: Jun 16, 2026
First seen by InfoSec Signals: Nov 1, 2026

Affected products

Affected products

c-ares c-ares c-ares:c-ares	1.0.0; 1.1.0; 1.2.0; 1.2.1; 1.3.0; 1.3.1; 1.3.2; 1.4.0; and 15 more ranges	NVD
c-ares_project c-ares c-ares_project:c-ares	1.11.0	NVD
debian debian_linux debian:debian_linux	8.0	NVD
nodejs node.js nodejs:node.js	from 0.10.0 before 0.10.48; from 0.12.0 before 0.12.17; from 4.0.0 before 4.6.1	NVD
canonical ubuntu_linux canonical:ubuntu_linux	12.04; 14.04; 16.04; 16.10	NVD

References

References

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0002.html
http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3682
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93243
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3143-1
https://c-ares.haxx.se/CVE-2016-5180.patch
https://c-ares.haxx.se/adv_20160929.html
https://googlechromereleases.blogspot.in/2016/09/stable-channel-updates-for-chrome-os.html
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201701-28
https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2017-01-01.html

The CVE record on cve.org NVD's entry

The CVE record is authoritative. Products marked “from the name” were identified from the CNA's free-text names, not a CPE, and are matched less certainly. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.