CVE-2009-2559 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the IPMI dissector in Wireshark 1.2.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via unspecified vectors related to an array index error. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/12/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-2559 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within Wireshark's IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) dissector version 1.2.0. This security weakness stems from an array index error that occurs when processing specially crafted network packets containing IPMI protocol data. The IPMI dissector is responsible for parsing and interpreting IPMI traffic within Wireshark's packet analysis framework, making it a crucial component for system administrators and security professionals monitoring enterprise infrastructure. The flaw manifests when the dissector attempts to access memory locations beyond the bounds of allocated arrays, creating conditions that can lead to unpredictable behavior and system instability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a classic buffer overflow scenario where the IPMI dissector fails to properly validate array indices during packet processing. When Wireshark encounters IPMI traffic with malformed or unexpected data structures, the dissector's internal logic attempts to access memory locations that exceed the allocated buffer boundaries. This array index error creates a condition where the application may attempt to read or write to memory locations outside of the intended data structures, potentially causing memory corruption. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be triggered remotely through network packet capture, meaning that an attacker only needs to send malicious IPMI packets to a system running Wireshark in packet capture mode to potentially cause a crash.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to network monitoring and security operations. Organizations relying on Wireshark for network traffic analysis and intrusion detection may experience unexpected service disruptions when processing legitimate IPMI traffic or when subjected to targeted attacks. The denial of service condition can result in complete application crashes, requiring system administrators to restart Wireshark services and potentially losing valuable network monitoring capabilities. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability of critical network analysis tools, which can compromise security operations and incident response capabilities. The remote exploitability means that attackers can target systems without requiring local access, making this a particularly dangerous weakness in network security monitoring environments.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes "Stack-based Buffer Overflow" conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. Additionally, this flaw relates to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" and T1566.001 for "Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment" in the context of network monitoring tools being compromised. The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks if attackers can leverage the memory corruption to execute arbitrary code. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to this vulnerability, while also ensuring that Wireshark installations are promptly updated to versions that contain the necessary patches. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in protocol dissectors, as these components must handle malformed data gracefully without crashing the entire application.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of Wireshark installations to versions that address this buffer overflow condition, typically found in Wireshark 1.2.1 and later releases. Network administrators should also implement network monitoring solutions that can detect and block suspicious IPMI traffic patterns, while maintaining redundant monitoring capabilities to ensure continued network visibility. The vulnerability highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of protocol dissectors and the importance of maintaining up-to-date network analysis tools. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify potential exploitation attempts targeting network monitoring tools, as these vulnerabilities can serve as initial access points for more comprehensive attacks against network infrastructure. Regular security assessments of network monitoring tools and protocols should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the security infrastructure.