CVE-2007-6116 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
The Firebird/Interbase dissector in Wireshark (formerly Ethereal) 0.99.6 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop or crash) via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/31/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-6116 affects the Firebird/Interbase protocol dissector within Wireshark version 0.99.6, representing a critical denial of service weakness that can be exploited remotely. This issue stems from insufficient input validation and processing logic within the network protocol analysis component responsible for interpreting Firebird and Interbase database communication protocols. The dissector's failure to properly handle malformed or unexpected packet structures creates conditions where maliciously crafted network traffic can trigger system instability. The vulnerability exists in the protocol decoding mechanism that processes database communication packets, specifically when encountering certain data patterns or malformed headers that are valid within the Firebird/Interbase protocol specification but cause the dissector to enter erroneous processing states.
The technical flaw manifests as an infinite loop or system crash when Wireshark attempts to analyze network traffic containing specially crafted Firebird/Interbase protocol data. This occurs because the dissector lacks proper boundary checks and recursive processing controls when handling nested or complex protocol structures. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-691, which describes insufficient control flow management in protocol parsers, where the dissector fails to implement adequate safeguards against malformed input sequences. When processing malicious packets, the dissector enters into recursive or iterative processing loops that consume excessive CPU resources or cause memory corruption leading to application termination. The attack vector requires only that an attacker send specially crafted network traffic containing Firebird/Interbase protocol data to a system running Wireshark in promiscuous mode or analyzing relevant network captures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can affect network monitoring and security analysis operations that rely on Wireshark for protocol inspection. Network administrators and security analysts who use Wireshark for troubleshooting database connectivity issues or security monitoring may find their analysis tools become unavailable when processing legitimate traffic containing the vulnerable protocol patterns. This creates a cascading effect where the tool used for network forensics and incident response becomes compromised, potentially masking or delaying detection of actual security incidents. The vulnerability particularly impacts environments where database traffic monitoring is critical, such as financial services, healthcare organizations, or any enterprise with database-centric applications. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046, where adversaries may exploit protocol analysis tools to disrupt network monitoring capabilities, and T1499, which involves disruption of services through resource exhaustion or application crashes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-6116 require immediate patching of Wireshark installations to version 0.99.7 or later, which contains the necessary protocol handling fixes. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of systems running Wireshark to untrusted network segments. Network administrators should consider disabling protocol dissectors for database protocols when they are not actively needed for analysis, reducing the attack surface. Additionally, implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on unusual CPU utilization patterns or application crashes can help identify exploitation attempts. Regular security updates and vulnerability assessments should include verification that protocol dissectors are properly configured and that no unnecessary dissectors are enabled in production environments. The fix implemented in subsequent Wireshark versions addresses the root cause by adding proper input validation, boundary checking, and control flow management within the dissector code to prevent the infinite loop conditions that previously occurred when processing malformed Firebird/Interbase protocol data.