CVE-2003-0429 in Ethereal
Summary
by MITRE
The OSI dissector in Ethereal 0.9.12 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via invalid IPv4 or IPv6 prefix lengths, possibly triggering a buffer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/28/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-0429 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the OSI dissector component of Ethereal network protocol analyzer version 0.9.12 and earlier. This issue arises from insufficient input validation when processing network packets that contain malformed IPv4 or IPv6 prefix lengths. The OSI dissector is responsible for parsing and interpreting OSI protocol data units within network traffic, making it a crucial component for network analysis and troubleshooting. When an attacker crafts malicious network packets with invalid prefix lengths, the dissector fails to properly handle these malformed inputs, leading to unpredictable behavior in the application's memory management.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking within the packet parsing logic. When Ethereal encounters an IPv4 or IPv6 packet with an invalid prefix length, the dissector attempts to process this data without adequate validation of the input parameters. This flaw creates a condition where the application's internal buffers receive more data than they can accommodate, resulting in memory corruption that manifests as a buffer overflow. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited remotely through network traffic without requiring any special privileges or authentication. The attacker needs only to send specifically crafted packets to the target system running the vulnerable Ethereal version, making this a significant threat vector for network-based attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2003-0429 extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially enable remote code execution on affected systems. When the buffer overflow occurs, it can overwrite critical memory locations including return addresses and function pointers, potentially allowing an attacker to redirect program execution flow. This capability transforms what might initially appear as a denial of service attack into a more severe compromise that could lead to full system control. The vulnerability affects systems where Ethereal is used for network monitoring, packet analysis, and security auditing, making it particularly concerning for network administrators and security professionals who rely on this tool for their operations. The exploitability of this vulnerability is further amplified by the fact that Ethereal was commonly used in both enterprise and research environments, increasing the potential attack surface.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Ethereal version 0.9.13 or later, which includes patches addressing this buffer overflow vulnerability. System administrators should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious traffic. Monitoring for unusual network activity patterns and implementing intrusion detection systems can help identify exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and may relate to ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and control communications. Additional defensive measures include disabling the OSI dissector when it is not actively needed, implementing network access controls to restrict packet capture capabilities, and maintaining regular security updates for all network monitoring tools. The incident underscores the critical importance of input validation in network protocol analysis software and highlights the need for thorough testing of packet parsing components against malformed inputs to prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.