CVE-2009-2562 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the AFS dissector in Wireshark 0.9.2 through 1.2.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/12/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-2562 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Wireshark's AFS dissector component. This vulnerability affected versions 0.9.2 through 1.2.0 of the popular network protocol analyzer, where the AFS dissector failed to properly handle malformed or unexpected data packets. The AFS dissector is responsible for parsing and analyzing Andrew File System traffic, which is commonly used in distributed computing environments. When encountering specially crafted malicious packets, the dissector would crash the entire Wireshark application, rendering it unable to process network traffic until manually restarted. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of software defects that can be exploited to disrupt normal system operations without requiring authentication or elevated privileges, making it particularly dangerous in network monitoring scenarios where continuous operation is essential.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the AFS dissector module. When Wireshark processes network packets containing AFS protocol data, the dissector attempts to parse and interpret various fields within the packet structure. The flaw occurs when the dissector encounters malformed packet structures or unexpected data sequences that it cannot properly handle, leading to memory corruption or invalid memory access conditions. This type of vulnerability is classified as a buffer overflow or improper input handling issue, which is commonly categorized under CWE-121 in the Common Weakness Enumeration system. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely through network traffic capture, meaning that an attacker positioned on the same network segment or able to inject packets could trigger the crash simply by sending malformed AFS packets to a system running the vulnerable version of Wireshark. The attack vector requires no special privileges and can be executed against any system running the affected Wireshark versions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it directly affects network monitoring and forensic analysis capabilities. In enterprise environments where Wireshark is used for network troubleshooting, security analysis, and incident response, a denial of service attack against the application could compromise network visibility and security monitoring. Network administrators relying on continuous packet capture for security operations would face significant operational challenges when the tool crashes, potentially missing critical security events or network anomalies. This vulnerability also impacts the reliability of network analysis in penetration testing scenarios, where security professionals depend on stable network analysis tools. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1498 which describes the use of denial of service attacks to disrupt services, and could be classified under T1566 for initial access through malicious network traffic. Organizations using Wireshark for network monitoring, security auditing, or compliance verification would experience direct operational degradation when this vulnerability is exploited.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate upgrading to Wireshark version 1.2.1 or later, where the AFS dissector vulnerability has been patched and properly validated. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious traffic, particularly in environments where Wireshark is deployed for network monitoring. Additional defensive measures include implementing network intrusion detection systems that can identify and block malformed traffic patterns, as well as establishing monitoring procedures to quickly detect service disruptions. Organizations should also consider implementing redundant monitoring solutions or backup network analysis tools to maintain operational continuity. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of keeping network analysis tools updated and highlights the critical need for proper input validation in protocol dissectors. Security teams should conduct regular vulnerability assessments of network monitoring tools and establish patch management procedures to ensure timely remediation of identified security flaws. This incident demonstrates the broader risk associated with protocol analysis tools and their potential for exploitation in network-based attacks, reinforcing the need for robust software security practices in network infrastructure components.