Overview
The CVE-2025-30194 vulnerability pertains to DNSdist, a highly DNS, DoS, and abuse-aware load balancer. When configured to provide DNS over HTTPS (DoH) via the nghttp2 provider, it is susceptible to an attack that can trigger an illegal memory access (double-free) and crash of DNSdist. This results in a denial of service, potentially compromising the system or leading to data leakage. It’s of critical importance due to its high severity score and the potential for system-wide impacts.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-30194
Severity: High (7.5 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
DNSdist | All versions before 1.9.9
How the Exploit Works
The exploit works by an attacker crafting a DNS over HTTPS (DoH) exchange that triggers an illegal memory access (double-free) in DNSdist. This causes a crash of DNSdist, leading to a denial of service. This can potentially compromise the system or lead to data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
Given that the nature of this exploit is DNS-based and not typically linked with a distinct payload, a conceptual example of how this vulnerability might be exploited is not straightforward. However, the attack would likely involve a maliciously crafted DNS query sent over HTTPS, which would be designed to trigger the illegal memory access.
POST /dns-query HTTP/1.1
Host: vulnerable-dnsdist.example.com
Content-Type: application/dns-message
{ "malicious_dns_query": "..." }
Remediation
The recommended remediation is to upgrade DNSdist to the patched version 1.9.9. As a temporary workaround, users can switch to the h2o provider until DNSdist has been upgraded to a fixed version. Alternatively, apply a vendor patch or use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) as temporary mitigation.

