CVE-2008-4682 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
wtap.c in Wireshark 0.99.7 through 1.0.3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application abort) via a malformed Tamos CommView capture file (aka .ncf file) with an "unknown/unexpected packet type" that triggers a failed assertion.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-4682 represents a critical denial of service weakness in Wireshark versions 0.99.7 through 1.0.3 that stems from inadequate input validation within the wtap.c file. This flaw specifically targets the handling of Tamos CommView capture files with the .ncf extension, which are commonly used for network traffic analysis and forensic investigations. The vulnerability manifests when the application encounters a malformed packet type within these capture files, triggering an assertion failure that results in the application aborting unexpectedly.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the packet parsing logic where Wireshark fails to properly validate packet type identifiers within .ncf files. When processing these files, the application attempts to assert that packet types conform to expected values, but encounters an "unknown/unexpected packet type" that violates this assumption. This assertion failure, classified under CWE-617 as reachable assertion, occurs because the code does not include proper error handling for malformed input data. The flaw essentially creates a path where untrusted input can force the application into an unrecoverable state, making it susceptible to exploitation by remote attackers who can craft malicious .ncf files to trigger the condition.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to network security operations and forensic analysis activities that rely on Wireshark for traffic inspection. The denial of service condition can disrupt critical network monitoring systems, forensic investigations, or security analysis workflows where analysts depend on stable packet capture analysis tools. Attackers can exploit this weakness remotely by simply providing a malicious .ncf file to any system running the vulnerable Wireshark versions, causing the application to crash and potentially leading to service disruption. This weakness particularly affects organizations that process network traffic captures from multiple sources or those that use automated analysis systems that might encounter such malformed files during routine operations.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application instability, as it can compromise the integrity of security operations and forensic investigations. Network administrators and security analysts who rely on Wireshark for monitoring network traffic may experience unexpected service interruptions when processing legitimate but improperly formatted capture files. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and error handling in network analysis tools, as these applications often process untrusted data from various sources. Organizations should consider implementing additional validation layers or sandboxing mechanisms to prevent exploitation, while also ensuring that their Wireshark installations are updated to versions that address this specific assertion failure condition.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate software updates to Wireshark versions that contain the necessary patches to properly handle malformed .ncf files. System administrators should prioritize patching affected installations and implement network monitoring solutions that can detect and prevent the transmission of potentially malicious capture files. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing input sanitization procedures for any automated systems that process network capture files, ensuring that malformed data does not reach the core analysis components. The vulnerability also underscores the need for robust error handling in network analysis tools, as demonstrated by the ATT&CK framework's emphasis on defensive techniques that prevent application crashes and maintain system availability during security operations.