CVE-2008-4680 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
packet-usb.c in the USB dissector in Wireshark 0.99.7 through 1.0.3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash or abort) via a malformed USB Request Block (URB).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/26/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-4680 resides within the USB dissector component of Wireshark, specifically in the packet-usb.c file. This flaw affects versions 0.99.7 through 1.0.3 of the network protocol analyzer, representing a critical security issue that can be exploited remotely to cause application instability. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the USB Request Block (URB) processing logic, where malformed URB data can trigger unexpected behavior in the dissector module.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the USB dissector's failure to properly handle malformed URB structures during packet analysis. When Wireshark processes network traffic containing specially crafted USB packets, the packet-usb.c module does not adequately validate the incoming URB data format before attempting to parse and display the information. This lack of proper validation creates a condition where malformed data can cause the application to crash or abort unexpectedly, effectively rendering the network analysis tool unusable for the duration of the attack.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to network security analysts and forensic investigators who rely on Wireshark for protocol analysis. An attacker positioned to intercept network traffic containing malicious USB packets can remotely force the Wireshark application to crash, potentially disrupting ongoing network monitoring activities or forensic investigations. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service as it can also prevent security personnel from analyzing legitimate network traffic, creating gaps in network visibility and potentially masking other security incidents.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and relates to the broader category of memory safety issues that affect network analysis tools. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the T1059.001 technique involving command and scripting interpreter, as the crash can be induced through network-based command injection patterns. The attack surface is particularly concerning given Wireshark's widespread use in enterprise environments, where network analysts may inadvertently process malicious traffic while performing routine network monitoring.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-4680 primarily involve immediate version updates to Wireshark 1.0.4 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the URB parsing vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and traffic filtering to prevent unauthorized access to network analysis tools, while maintaining regular patch management procedures to address similar vulnerabilities. Additional protective measures include configuring Wireshark to process traffic in isolated environments and implementing monitoring solutions to detect application crashes or unexpected behavior that may indicate exploitation attempts.