CVE-2021-45954

9.8 CRITICAL 3% exploit odds No fix listed Memory safety Network gear

What it is

Dnsmasq 2.86 has a heap-based buffer overflow in extract_name (called from answer_auth and FuzzAuth). NOTE: the vendor's position is that CVE-2021-45951 through CVE-2021-45957 "do not represent real vulnerabilities, to the best of our knowledge.

At a glance

Exploitability: Can be exploited over the network without logging in. High risk of data exposure, data tampering, service disruption.
Exploit odds: 2.7% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).
Fix: No patch or advisory is linked yet. Look at mitigations or restrict exposure.

Timeline

2021-12-31 00:00 UTC ReservedThe CVE id was reserved by its CNA
2022-01-01 00:15 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2026-06-17 04:14 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Why it ranks here

Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
Exploit odds: 2.7% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
Severity: 9.8 CRITICAL (CVSS).
Fix: none linked yet, which raises it.

Details

Published: 2022-01-01 00:15 UTC
Last modified: 2026-06-17 04:14 UTC
Exploit probability: 2.7% · EPSS, next 30 days
Weakness: CWE-787 · Out-of-bounds write
Record status: Modified

Affected

Thekelleys Dnsmasq 2.86

Attack profile CVSS 3.1 · 9.8

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: Low
Privileges needed: None
User interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

Raw vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Is it in your code?

Hand this to your coding agent. It searches your project for the affected products and checks versions. Nothing leaves your machine.

Read https://cve-list.com/agent/cve/CVE-2021-45954.md and follow it. Check whether this project is affected by CVE-2021-45954. Read only. Don't change anything and don't upload my code. Tell me yes, no or not sure, with the file as proof.

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References

NVD record · CVE.org record