CVE-2016-10152: The read_config_file function in lib/hesiod.c in Hesiod 3.2.1 falls back to the ".athena.mit.edu" default d...

Security readout for executives and security teams

Hesiod 3.2.1 can silently use a default MIT Athena domain if its configuration file cannot be opened. If an attacker can poison DNS cache responses for that fallback path, the CVE description says they may gain root privileges. This is serious for legacy systems that still use Hesiod for identity or naming lookups. Likely exposure is limited to hosts using Hesiod 3.2.1 or downstream packages based on it. Risk is higher where Hesiod lookups influence privileged account, naming, or authorization behavior. The provided affected-product metadata is incomplete, so inventory confirmation is required. Prioritize discovery on legacy Unix/Linux environments. Upgrade or retire exposed Hesiod usage where found, especially on systems where naming data can influence privileged access. The urgency is high for confirmed use, but broader enterprise exposure is likely narrow. Mitigation focus: Identify all systems with Hesiod packages or linked Hesiod libraries installed.; Review vendor advisories, including Gentoo GLSA-201805-01, for fixed package guidance.; Apply vendor-supported Hesiod updates where available..

Prepared

Jun 13, 2026, 05:45 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.