CVE-2005-0008 in Ethereal
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in the DNP dissector in Ethereal 0.10.5 through 0.10.8 allows remote attackers to cause "memory corruption."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0008 represents a critical memory corruption issue within the DNP dissector component of Ethereal network protocol analyzer version 0.10.5 through 0.10.8. This flaw exists in the protocol decoding functionality that processes DNP3 (Distributed Network Protocol) traffic, which is commonly used in industrial control systems and energy utilities for communication between devices. The DNP dissector is responsible for parsing and analyzing DNP3 packets to provide detailed protocol information to network analysts and security professionals. When processing malformed or specially crafted DNP3 packets, the dissector fails to properly validate input data, leading to memory corruption conditions that can potentially result in application crashes or arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking and memory management within the dissector's packet parsing routines, creating opportunities for attackers to exploit memory layout weaknesses through carefully constructed network traffic. This issue directly relates to CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, covering heap-based buffer overflow scenarios that can occur during dynamic memory allocation. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as memory corruption can potentially allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on systems running affected versions of Ethereal, particularly in environments where network traffic analysis tools are deployed for monitoring critical infrastructure. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability by sending malicious DNP3 packets to systems running the vulnerable software, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The risk is particularly elevated in industrial control environments where Ethereal might be used for network monitoring, as these systems often handle sensitive operational data and critical infrastructure communications. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory management in protocol analysis tools, as these applications often process untrusted network data from multiple sources. Organizations using Ethereal for network monitoring should consider this vulnerability as part of their broader security posture assessment, particularly in environments where industrial protocols are analyzed. The issue also highlights the need for regular updates and patch management in network security tools, as the vulnerability exists across multiple versions of the software and could be exploited by attackers with minimal technical expertise. This type of memory corruption vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059, which covers command and control communication through network protocols, as well as T1490, covering data destruction through network-based attacks. The affected systems would likely be impacted through network-based exploitation, where attackers could potentially gain unauthorized access to network monitoring capabilities and leverage them for further reconnaissance or attack activities. The vulnerability underscores the necessity of implementing network segmentation and access controls for systems running protocol analysis tools, as well as maintaining up-to-date security patches for all network monitoring applications. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring and detection capabilities to identify potential exploitation attempts targeting these types of vulnerabilities in network traffic analysis systems. The remediation approach requires immediate deployment of patched versions of Ethereal, as the vulnerability cannot be effectively mitigated through configuration changes or network segmentation alone. This vulnerability exemplifies the broader challenges in securing network protocol analysis tools, which must balance the need for comprehensive protocol support with robust security controls against malicious input data. The memory corruption nature of this vulnerability also indicates potential for more severe exploitation outcomes, including privilege escalation or complete system compromise, depending on the execution environment and privileges of the running process.