CVE-2007-0458 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the HTTP dissector in Wireshark (formerly Ethereal) 0.99.3 and 0.99.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via unspecified vectors, a different issue than CVE-2006-5468.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/14/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0458 affects Wireshark version 0.99.3 and 0.99.4, specifically within the HTTP dissector component of this network protocol analyzer. This flaw represents a denial of service condition that can be triggered remotely, potentially compromising the availability of the application. The HTTP dissector is responsible for parsing and displaying HTTP protocol data within network captures, making it a critical component for network analysis and troubleshooting activities. The vulnerability manifests as an application crash that occurs when processing specially crafted network traffic containing HTTP protocol elements, effectively rendering the network analysis tool unusable for the duration of the crash.
The technical nature of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of malformed or unexpected HTTP protocol data within the dissector module. When Wireshark encounters certain malformed HTTP packets during packet analysis, the HTTP dissector fails to properly validate input data structures before processing them, leading to memory corruption or invalid memory access conditions. This type of vulnerability typically stems from insufficient bounds checking, improper input sanitization, or failure to handle edge cases in protocol parsing logic. The flaw operates at the application layer of network analysis, where protocol-specific dissectors interpret raw network data into human-readable format, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered by simply analyzing network traffic containing maliciously crafted HTTP elements.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to network security professionals and analysts who rely on Wireshark for monitoring and troubleshooting network communications. The remote exploitation capability means that an attacker could potentially send malicious network traffic to a system running Wireshark, causing the application to crash without requiring local access or authentication. This makes it particularly concerning for network monitoring environments where Wireshark might be used to analyze traffic from untrusted sources such as public networks or external network segments. The impact extends beyond simple application instability, as it could prevent security analysts from performing critical network monitoring tasks during security incidents, potentially masking actual network threats or compromising incident response capabilities.
The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-248, covering exposure of unintended alternative path in a protocol implementation. These weaknesses specifically relate to improper handling of protocol data that can lead to memory corruption and application instability. The attack pattern follows ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol traffic, where adversaries exploit protocol parsing vulnerabilities to cause service disruption. Organizations using affected Wireshark versions should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions, implementing network segmentation to limit exposure, and deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify and block suspicious HTTP traffic patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of protocol validation in network analysis tools and highlights the need for comprehensive input sanitization in all protocol dissectors to prevent similar issues from occurring in other network monitoring applications.
The broader implications of this vulnerability extend to network security operations where protocol analyzers serve as fundamental tools for threat detection and incident response. When such tools become unreliable due to denial of service conditions, it creates gaps in network visibility that adversaries can exploit. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of regular security updates and patch management processes, particularly for network security tools that process untrusted data from network traffic. Organizations should consider implementing automated patch management systems and conducting regular vulnerability assessments to identify and remediate similar issues across their network monitoring infrastructure.