CVE-2007-0459 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
packet-tcp.c in the TCP dissector in Wireshark (formerly Ethereal) 0.99.2 through 0.99.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash or hang) via fragmented HTTP packets.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/14/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0459 resides within the TCP dissector component of Wireshark, formerly known as Ethereal, affecting versions 0.99.2 through 0.99.4. This flaw represents a critical denial of service vulnerability that can be exploited remotely through carefully crafted fragmented HTTP packets. The vulnerability specifically targets the packet-tcp.c file which handles TCP packet analysis and reconstruction within the network protocol dissection framework. The issue manifests when the application processes fragmented TCP packets that contain HTTP data, leading to improper handling of the packet reassembly logic that ultimately results in application instability.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the TCP dissector's packet reassembly mechanism. When Wireshark encounters fragmented HTTP packets, the dissector attempts to reconstruct the original TCP stream for proper protocol analysis. However, the implementation fails to properly validate the fragment offsets and lengths during the reassembly process, creating a condition where malformed or specially crafted fragment sequences can cause memory corruption or infinite loops. This flaw operates at the protocol decoding layer where the application must reconstruct fragmented data streams, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered by simply capturing and analyzing network traffic containing the malicious fragments. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-129 as an insufficient input validation, specifically related to improper handling of input boundaries and fragment offsets.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-0459 is severe and affects network security analysts, forensic investigators, and organizations that rely on Wireshark for network traffic analysis. An attacker can remotely trigger a denial of service condition by simply sending specially crafted fragmented HTTP packets to a target system running the vulnerable Wireshark version. The attack requires minimal privileges and can be executed from any network location where the attacker has access to network traffic. The application crash or hang that results from exploitation can lead to complete disruption of network monitoring operations, potentially causing critical network visibility gaps during security incidents or forensic investigations. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability of network analysis tools that are essential for security operations, creating a cascading effect where network administrators lose the ability to monitor and analyze traffic effectively.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Wireshark version 0.99.5 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this vulnerability. The fix involves enhanced input validation for TCP fragment offsets and improved error handling during packet reassembly operations. Network administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious traffic. Additionally, organizations should monitor for any attempts to exploit this vulnerability through network traffic analysis and implement intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious fragment patterns. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1499.004 - Network Denial of Service, as it specifically targets the availability of network analysis tools through remote exploitation. This vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current security tool versions and demonstrates how protocol analysis tools themselves can become attack vectors when not properly secured against malformed input conditions.