CVE-2002-0380 in tcpdump
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in tcpdump 3.6.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via an NFS packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/18/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0380 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within tcpdump version 3.6.2 and earlier implementations. This security weakness specifically manifests when tcpdump processes Network File System (NFS) packets, creating a scenario where remote attackers can exploit the vulnerability to either disrupt service availability or potentially gain unauthorized code execution privileges. The flaw resides in the packet parsing mechanism that fails to properly validate input data length when handling NFS packet structures, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged for malicious purposes.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of NFS packet headers and data payloads that tcpdump encounters during network monitoring operations. When tcpdump attempts to parse malformed or specially crafted NFS packets, the insufficient bounds checking in the packet processing code allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. This buffer overflow condition creates opportunities for attackers to either crash the tcpdump process, resulting in denial of service, or more severely manipulate the program execution flow to inject and execute arbitrary code on the affected system. The vulnerability specifically aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of unsafe memory handling practices in network protocol analysis tools.
The operational impact of CVE-2002-0380 extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass potential system compromise and unauthorized access capabilities. Organizations relying on tcpdump for network monitoring and security analysis face significant risk when systems are running vulnerable versions, as attackers can leverage this weakness to gain persistent access to monitored networks. The vulnerability affects any system where tcpdump is actively processing network traffic, particularly those in environments where NFS services are prevalent or where network monitoring is conducted across potentially hostile networks. Attackers can exploit this weakness without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous for network infrastructure monitoring tools that are typically deployed with broad network access permissions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-0380 require immediate patching of tcpdump installations to versions 3.7.0 or later, which contain the necessary fixes for the buffer overflow condition. System administrators should prioritize updating tcpdump across all network monitoring infrastructure, particularly in environments where the tool processes untrusted network traffic. Additional defensive measures include implementing network segmentation to limit exposure, configuring tcpdump to run with minimal privileges, and deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify and block malformed NFS packet patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory management in network security tools, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage and T1499 for network denial of service attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing network traffic filtering rules that can prevent potentially malicious NFS packet sequences from reaching tcpdump processes, while maintaining comprehensive monitoring of system logs for exploitation attempts.