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CVE Record

CVE-2020-8277: A Node.js application that allows an attacker to trigger a DNS request for a host of their choice could tri...

A Node.js application that allows an attacker to trigger a DNS request for a host of their choice could trigger a Denial of Service in versions < 15.2.1, < 14.15.1, and < 12.19.1 by getting the application to resolve a DNS record with a larger number of responses. This is fixed in 15.2.1, 14.15.1, and 12.19.1.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This Node.js issue can let an attacker crash or exhaust a vulnerable application if the app can be made to perform DNS lookups for attacker-chosen hosts. The business impact is availability loss, not confirmed data theft. The main action is to find vulnerable Node.js runtimes and upgrade to the fixed releases.

Executive priority

Treat this as a routine but important availability fix. Prioritize public services and business-critical systems that run vulnerable Node.js versions and accept user-controlled hostnames or URLs. Escalate if those conditions are present in production.

Technical view

CVE-2020-8277 is a CWE-400 uncontrolled resource consumption issue in Node.js DNS resolution handling. Applications are exposed when attacker-controlled input can trigger DNS requests and the resolved record returns many responses. Affected versions are below 15.2.1, 14.15.1, and 12.19.1; those releases contain the fix.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely in internet-facing or API-facing Node.js services running affected Node versions where untrusted users can influence hostnames or DNS lookups. Packaged Node builds from Linux distributions or embedded enterprise products may also be relevant where vendor advisories list Node.js updates.

Exploitation context

The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation. Exploitation requires an application behavior that lets an attacker cause DNS resolution for a chosen host. The documented outcome is denial of service through excessive DNS response processing.

Researcher notes

The strongest evidence is the Node.js advisory and CVE description. Severity scoring is absent in the provided CVE data, and KEV is false. Avoid assuming exploit prevalence. Focus validation on runtime version and whether application logic exposes attacker-influenced DNS resolution.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade Node.js to 15.2.1, 14.15.1, 12.19.1, or later supported releases.
  • Apply Node.js updates from OS or product vendors where Node is packaged or embedded.
  • Identify services where untrusted input can trigger hostname or DNS resolution.
  • Check current Node.js and vendor advisories before relying on local mitigations.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory production, CI, container, and appliance Node.js runtime versions.
  • Confirm no deployed runtime is below 15.2.1, 14.15.1, or 12.19.1.
  • Review application paths that resolve user-supplied hosts or URLs.
  • Check vendor package advisories for patched Node.js builds in managed distributions.
Prepared
Confidence
high
Sources
12

Public sources used

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

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cwe · low confidence lookup

CWE-400: Exact CWE lookup

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cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2020-8277 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
14Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
NodeJSNode4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 11.0, 12.0, 13.0, 14.0, 15.0unaffected
Weakness

CWE details

CWE-400

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.

CWE-400 · source CWE mapping

Uncontrolled Resource Consumption

Uncontrolled Resource Consumption represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.

Open CWE intelligenceSame-CWE CVEs