High · published July 9, 2026
Zeek before 8.0.9 contains a null pointer dereference vulnerability in its Kerberos protocol analyzer that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to crash the sensor by sending a crafted KRB_ERROR message with error-code 25 (KDC_ERR_PREAUTH_REQUIRED) containing a PA-DATA element with padata-type 2, 3, 11, or 19. Attackers can exploit a parser and analyzer state mismatch where proc_padata() dereferences an uninitialized pa_data_element field selected by the wrong parsing arm, triggering a crash via a single UDP or TCP packet to port 88 without any credentials or prior authentication.
| Product | Versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| zeek/zeek | < 8.0.9 | 8.0.9 |