CVE-2006-5595 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the AirPcap support in Wireshark (formerly Ethereal) 0.99.3 has unspecified attack vectors related to WEP key parsing.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/25/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-5595 resides within the AirPcap support functionality of Wireshark version 0.99.3, representing a critical security flaw that affects wireless network analysis capabilities. This issue specifically targets the WEP key parsing mechanisms within the software's wireless packet capture and analysis framework, creating potential attack vectors that could compromise wireless network security monitoring operations. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability indicates that the exact technical implementation flaw remains undetermined, though it clearly impacts the software's ability to properly handle WEP key data during wireless network traffic analysis. The vulnerability's presence in the AirPcap support module suggests that it affects wireless network monitoring capabilities when analyzing traffic from wireless devices that utilize WEP encryption protocols, potentially allowing malicious actors to exploit weaknesses in how the software processes wireless network keys.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper handling of WEP key data within Wireshark's wireless analysis framework, particularly when processing packets captured through AirPcap hardware interfaces. This parsing issue could potentially lead to memory corruption, buffer overflows, or other code execution vulnerabilities that would allow attackers to manipulate the software's behavior when encountering specific WEP key formats. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple parsing errors as it affects the fundamental security analysis capabilities of the tool, potentially enabling attackers to bypass wireless network security measures or gain unauthorized access to wireless network monitoring data. The flaw represents a significant concern for security professionals who rely on Wireshark for network analysis, as it could compromise the integrity of wireless network security assessments and potentially provide attackers with insights into wireless network configurations and key management processes.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risks for organizations that depend on Wireshark for wireless network security monitoring and analysis. Security teams utilizing the affected version of Wireshark could be exposed to potential exploitation when analyzing wireless traffic, particularly in environments where WEP keys are processed or when conducting wireless network penetration testing. The vulnerability's impact on WEP key parsing could result in denial of service conditions, where the software crashes or becomes unresponsive when encountering malformed WEP key data, or more critically, could enable remote code execution attacks that would allow adversaries to take control of the analysis system. This represents a fundamental threat to the security monitoring infrastructure, as the tool itself becomes a potential attack vector rather than a defensive mechanism.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate software updates to versions that address the WEP key parsing flaws within the AirPcap support module. Organizations must ensure they are running patched versions of Wireshark that have resolved the unspecified vulnerability in the wireless analysis framework, particularly those that have addressed memory handling and input validation issues related to WEP key processing. System administrators should implement network segmentation and monitoring controls to detect potential exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability, while also ensuring that wireless network security assessments are conducted using properly updated tools. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read conditions, and potentially CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds writes, as the improper WEP key parsing could lead to buffer overflow conditions. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability could be leveraged for initial access through network reconnaissance or privilege escalation via exploitation of the wireless analysis tool, representing a critical weakness in the security monitoring stack that requires immediate remediation.