Network: Bind: determining version
(last edit: 2001-04-04)
                   
IMPORTANT NOTE
There are security problems with bind version 8.2.3 and below that. Only version 
8.2.3-RELEASE and higher aren't affected with this know bug. Please read the
following advisory:

ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/CERT/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-01%3A18.bind.asc


How to determin the version of bind?


  
Start nslookup
  
Choose a server (type in: server [servername]
  
Type in:
      set class=chaos 
      set type=txt 
      version.bind 


Here is a 'real life' example:

---
[root] /root>nslookup
Default Server:  dns.example.org
Address:  192.168.1.1

> set class=chaos
> set type=txt
> version.bind
Server:  dns.example.org
Address:  192.168.1.1

VERSION.BIND    text = "8.2.3-T6B"
---

You can also determine the version with 'dig':

---
[root] /root>dig @ns.example.org version.bind chaos txt

; <<>> DiG 8.3 <<>> @ns.example.org version.bind chaos txt
; (1 server found)
;; res options: init recurs defnam dnsrch
;; got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 6
;; flags: qr aa rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0
;; QUERY SECTION:
;;      version.bind, type = TXT, class = CHAOS

;; ANSWER SECTION:
VERSION.BIND.           0S CHAOS TXT    "8.2.3-T6B"

;; Total query time: 4 msec
;; FROM: ns.example.org to SERVER: wormhole  192.168.1.1
;; WHEN: Tue Mar 13 09:32:26 2001
;; MSG SIZE  sent: 30  rcvd: 64
---