CVE-2007-6450 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
The RPL dissector in Wireshark (formerly Ethereal) 0.9.8 to 0.99.6 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-6450 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Wireshark's RPL dissector component, affecting versions ranging from 0.9.8 through 0.99.6. This issue manifests as an infinite loop condition that can be triggered remotely, potentially allowing malicious actors to disrupt network analysis operations and render the tool completely unresponsive. The RPL dissector is responsible for parsing Routing Protocol for Low-Power and Lossy Networks data structures, which are commonly used in IoT and sensor network environments. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and processing logic within the dissector's parsing routines, creating a scenario where malformed or specially crafted RPL packets can cause the application to enter an endless processing cycle.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of RPL packet structures that Wireshark attempts to parse and display in its user interface. When the dissector encounters malformed packet data, the parsing algorithms fail to properly handle edge cases or invalid data sequences, resulting in recursive or iterative processing that never terminates. This behavior aligns with CWE-835, which specifically addresses infinite loops in software implementations where loop termination conditions are not properly enforced. The flaw demonstrates a classic example of insufficient error handling in network protocol parsing components, where the absence of proper bounds checking and state validation allows the processing engine to become trapped in continuous execution paths.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to network security analysts and forensic investigators who rely on Wireshark for network traffic analysis. The infinite loop condition effectively renders the application unusable, forcing analysts to restart the application and potentially lose valuable analysis context. In enterprise environments where Wireshark serves as a primary diagnostic tool, this denial of service condition can disrupt critical network monitoring operations and incident response procedures. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this vulnerability without requiring local access to the system, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network traffic analysis tools are exposed to untrusted network segments.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability involves immediate upgrading to Wireshark versions that contain patched dissector implementations, specifically those released after the vulnerability was identified. Network administrators should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of Wireshark instances to untrusted traffic sources. Additionally, implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on unusual processing patterns or application behavior can help identify exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing network access control lists and firewalls to restrict access to network analysis tools from potentially malicious sources. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust input validation and defensive programming practices in network protocol analysis tools, emphasizing the need for comprehensive error handling and resource management in security applications. This case study serves as a reminder of the critical importance of thorough testing and validation of protocol parsers, particularly in security tools that process potentially malicious network traffic.