Update Your BIND 9 to 9.18.45, 9.20.19, or 9.21.18: The February 2026 Maintenance Releases
The BIND 9 February 2026 maintenance releases (9.18.45, 9.20.19, 9.21.18) are now available on ISC's download server and offer various improvements, including bug fixes and Python upgrades. The 9.18.45 release is mostly a housekeeping update that only adds the requirement of Python 3.10 or newer for testing, while the 9.20.19 branch includes several notable changes, such as improved IXFR performance and case-insensitive catalog zone names. If you're running an older version of BIND, upgrading to 9.20.19 can be a good choice, especially if you have large zones that require frequent transfers. However, the experimental 9.21.18 branch is still labeled as such and may not be suitable for production environments, but it does offer a useful tweak on ANY queries that can cut down traffic bursts by half.
Update Your BIND 9 to 9.18.45, 9.20.19, or 9.21.18: The February 2026 Maintenance Releases
The February 2026 maintenance releases for BIND 9, specifically versions 9.18.45, 9.20.19, and 9.21.18, are now available and include various improvements like bug fixes and Python upgrades. The 9.18.45 version mainly requires Python 3.10 for testing, while 9.20.19 addresses performance issues in large zone transfers and enhances case insensitivity for certain configurations. The experimental 9.21.18 version introduces a new default for ANY queries to minimize potential amplification traffic, but it is not recommended for production environments due to its experimental status. Users running older versions should consider upgrading to 9.20.19 for performance benefits, while the upgrade process can be managed safely by following specific steps to avoid disruptions
