CVE-2007-3393 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
Off-by-one error in the DHCP/BOOTP dissector in Wireshark before 0.99.6 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via crafted DHCP-over-DOCSIS packets.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/21/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-3393 represents a critical off-by-one error within the DHCP/BOOTP dissector component of Wireshark versions prior to 0.99.6. This flaw manifests specifically when processing DHCP-over-DOCSIS packets, which are used in cable modem networks to configure network parameters. The issue arises from improper bounds checking during packet analysis, where the dissector fails to correctly validate packet lengths and data structures, creating a condition where memory access occurs beyond allocated boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the dissector's handling of DHCP options within DOCSIS encapsulated packets. When Wireshark encounters malformed DHCP-over-DOCSIS frames with specifically crafted option lengths, the off-by-one error causes the parser to read or write data beyond the intended buffer boundaries. This memory corruption leads to unpredictable behavior including application crashes, segmentation faults, and ultimately complete system instability. The vulnerability falls under CWE-129, which specifically addresses improper validation of buffer limits, and can be classified as a memory safety issue that affects the dissector's ability to process network traffic safely.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant denial of service threat to network monitoring and analysis environments that rely on Wireshark for packet inspection. Attackers can remotely exploit this weakness by transmitting maliciously crafted DHCP-over-DOCSIS packets to a target system running vulnerable Wireshark versions. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as the crash can potentially affect network administrators' ability to perform critical monitoring tasks, leading to loss of network visibility and potential security gaps. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1498, specifically targeting network denial of service through application-level attacks.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal network access and can be executed remotely without authentication, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where network monitoring tools are extensively deployed. Organizations using Wireshark for security monitoring, incident response, and network troubleshooting face elevated risk when running affected versions, as a single malicious packet can compromise the integrity of network analysis operations. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in network protocol parsers and highlights the potential for seemingly benign network traffic to cause catastrophic application failures.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate upgrading to Wireshark version 0.99.6 or later, which includes patched dissector logic that properly validates packet boundaries and prevents the off-by-one error. Network administrators should also implement additional monitoring and alerting mechanisms to detect unusual packet patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The fix implemented in the patched versions addresses the core issue by introducing proper bounds checking and ensuring that all packet data is validated before processing, preventing memory corruption scenarios that led to the original crash conditions. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious traffic sources while maintaining essential monitoring capabilities.