HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2023-31147
MEDIUM

CVE-2023-31147

CWE-330Published: May 25, 2023· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

6.5
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

c-ares is an asynchronous resolver library. When /dev/urandom or RtlGenRandom() are unavailable, c-ares uses rand() to generate random numbers used for DNS query ids. This is not a CSPRNG, and it is also not seeded by srand() so will generate predictable output. Input from the random number generator is fed into a non-compilant RC4 implementation and may not be as strong as the original RC4 implementation. No attempt is made to look for modern OS-provided CSPRNGs like arc4random() that is widely available. This issue has been fixed in version 1.19.1.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2023-31147 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityLow
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityNone
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

Affected Vendors & Products

c-ares_project1 product(s)
c-ares
Fedora1 product(s)
fedora
Source: NVD CPE · 3 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttps://github.com/c-ares/c-ares/security/advisories/GHSA-8r8p-23f3-64c2
ADVISORYhttps://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/B5Z5XFNXTNPTCBBVXFDNZQVLLIE6VRBY/
ADVISORYhttps://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/UBFWILTA33LOSV23P44FGTQQIDRJHIY7/
ADVISORYhttps://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202310-09
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/c-ares/c-ares/security/advisories/GHSA-8r8p-23f3-64c2
ADVISORYhttps://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/B5Z5XFNXTNPTCBBVXFDNZQVLLIE6VRBY/
ADVISORYhttps://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/UBFWILTA33LOSV23P44FGTQQIDRJHIY7/
ADVISORYhttps://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202310-09

All References (10)

→
https://github.com/c-ares/c-ares/releases/tag/cares-1_19_1Release Notes
→
https://github.com/c-ares/c-ares/security/advisories/GHSA-8r8p-23f3-64c2Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/B5Z5XFNXTNPTCBBVXFDNZQVLLIE6VRBY/Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/UBFWILTA33LOSV23P44FGTQQIDRJHIY7/Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202310-09Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/c-ares/c-ares/releases/tag/cares-1_19_1Release Notes
→
https://github.com/c-ares/c-ares/security/advisories/GHSA-8r8p-23f3-64c2Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/B5Z5XFNXTNPTCBBVXFDNZQVLLIE6VRBY/Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/UBFWILTA33LOSV23P44FGTQQIDRJHIY7/Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202310-09Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2023-31147
CVSS Score6.5 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-330
CISA KEVNo
Affected2 vendor(s)
PublishedMay 25, 2023

Related CVEs (CWE-330)

CVE-2018-18602
9.8
CVE-2018-16239
9.8
CVE-2018-18375
9.8
CVE-2018-17888
9.8
CVE-2018-18531
9.8
CVE-2019-0729
9.8

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2023-31147 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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