CVE-2008-1563 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
The "decode as" feature in packet-bssap.c in the SCCP dissector in Wireshark (formerly Ethereal) 0.99.6 through 0.99.8 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a malformed packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/25/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1563 resides within the SCCP dissector component of Wireshark, specifically affecting versions 0.99.6 through 0.99.8. This issue manifests in the packet-bssap.c file where the "decode as" functionality presents a critical security flaw that can be exploited remotely to trigger application crashes. The vulnerability represents a classic buffer overflow condition that occurs when processing malformed network packets, particularly those related to the BSSAP (Base Station System Application Part) protocol within the GSM network infrastructure. The affected dissector component is responsible for interpreting and displaying protocol-specific information from captured network traffic, making it a critical element in network forensics and security analysis activities.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malformed packet that triggers improper handling within the SCCP dissector's decode as feature. This flaw stems from inadequate input validation and memory management practices within the packet parsing logic. When Wireshark attempts to process such malformed packets through the BSSAP dissector, the application encounters a condition where it fails to properly handle the unexpected packet structure, leading to memory corruption and subsequent application termination. The vulnerability is classified as a denial of service condition that can be remotely triggered, allowing attackers to disrupt network analysis operations without requiring any special privileges or authentication credentials.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-1563 extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially compromise network monitoring and security analysis capabilities. Network security professionals who rely on Wireshark for traffic analysis, incident response, and network troubleshooting may find their investigative tools rendered unusable when encountering maliciously crafted packets. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that depend on continuous network monitoring, as the application crash can occur during critical security events or forensic investigations. The remote exploit nature means that attackers can target systems running vulnerable Wireshark versions from external network positions, making this vulnerability especially dangerous in environments where network traffic analysis tools are exposed to untrusted network segments.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected Wireshark installations to versions that address the buffer overflow condition in the SCCP dissector. System administrators should ensure that all instances of Wireshark are updated to versions 0.99.9 or later where the vulnerability has been resolved through proper input validation and memory management improvements. Network security teams should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of Wireshark systems to untrusted traffic sources. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect and alert on unusual application crash patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a typical ATT&CK technique for denial of service operations that can be used to disrupt critical network analysis capabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify and block malformed packets before they reach vulnerable Wireshark installations, providing an additional layer of protection against this and similar vulnerabilities.