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VA Technical Reference Model v 25.2

Unbound

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	Unbound is a validating, recursive, and caching Domain Name Server (DNS) resolver. It is designed to be fast and incorporate modern features based on open standards. To help increase online privacy, Unbound supports Domain Name System via the Transport Layer Security (DNS-over-TLS; DoT) and Domain Name System via Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (DNS-over-HTTPS; DoH) which allows users to encrypt their communication.
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has not been assessed by the Section 508 Office. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v25.2
Decision Date:	02/01/2025 at 04:29:06 UTC
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	NLnet Labs

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

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Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
1.22.x	10/17/2024

Current Decision Matrix (01/24/2025)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VAIT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported.

Legend:

White	Authorized: The technology/standard has been authorized for use.
Yellow	Authorized w/ Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M): This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Authorized w/ Constraints (DIVEST): VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unauthorized may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Unauthorized: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Authorized w/ Constraints (PLANNING/EVALUATION): The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology authorized with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology authorized with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M).

<Past

CY2026

CY2027

CY2028

Future>

Release

1.22.x

Authorized w/ Constraints
[1, 2, 3, 4]

Decision Constraints


[1]	Users must not utilize FreeBSD, as it, at the time of writing, requires a POA&M. Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: Unbound will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 (or its successor) certified solution for any data containing Protected Health Information (PHI) / Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or VA sensitive information. Users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Officer (ISSO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations. The Netherlands is considered to be an allied nation and does not pose a threat. During testing and operation, it is recommended that outbound connections be baselined, then monitored for anything unusual. System owners must ensure they are using the most recent version of the software Ensure only authorized users have access to the system, user training, and Uniform Resource Locator (URL) validation. End-to-end encryption is highly recommended to prevent unauthorized access and reading of sensitive information Limits should be placed on the calculations, replies, and packets. This will ensure continued availability of resources, both for the users and other services, as well as the requested software solution, Unbound.

[2]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[3]	This technology has received one or more VA security bulletins that provide specific guidance on vulnerability patching and mitigation. It is the responsibility of VA system owners to ensure that the appropriate mitigations are taken to address all known and future discovered vulnerabilities with this product. See the Reference tab for more information on security bulletins related to this product.

[4]	The Federal Information Processing standards (FIPS) 140-2 certification status of this technology was not able to be verified. This technology will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 or 140-3 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information, where applicable. More information regarding the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) can be found on the NIST website.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 1.22.0 is the most current version, released 10/17/2024.

Name	Description
No components have been identified for this entry.


Network and Telecommunications Network Infrastructure	Load Balancing and Failover

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This is a well-documented technology.
At the time of writing, there are a limited number of TRM options providing this functionality. The addition of this technology will provide end users with multiple viable options.
This technology is available at no cost through open-source licensing and supports VA's open-source initiative.

Adoption Risks

As open-source software, this product may be left without clearly defined support options which may result in suboptimal enterprise level support.
There are known Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) associated with this technology. Please see <a href = "https://nvd.NIST.gov/vuln/search" target="_blank">https://nvd.NIST.gov/vuln/search</a> for more details.
There are Threat & Assessment Analysis Portal (TAAP) bulletins associated with this technology.
There is no indication based on either the vendor documentation or the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) that this technology is Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 compliant.
This technology can potentially use FreeBSD which requires a POA&M for use on the VA network.
Due to the rapid release schedule of this technology, the VA may be unable to update to the most recent patch and may require a deployment model requiring the use of specific versions.
The vendor for this technology is based outside the United States.
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - The product is not Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 (or its successor) certified.
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - Unbound is open-source.
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - The vendor is located outside of the United States in the Netherlands.
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - There are published Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) for this software.
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - DNS poisoning attack.
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - Denial of Service (DOS) attack.

Architectural Benefits

This technology is portable as it runs on multiple TRM-authorized operating systems.

- The information contained on this page is accurate as of the Decision Date (02/01/2025 at 04:29:06 UTC).

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VA Technical Reference Model v 25.2

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (01/24/2025)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

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Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

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VA Technical Reference Model v 25.2

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (01/24/2025)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Open Source

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Optional Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

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VA Categories

View the VA Categorization Framework