CVE-2009-2563 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Infiniband dissector in Wireshark 1.0.6 through 1.2.0, when running on unspecified platforms, 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-2009-2563 represents a critical denial of service weakness within Wireshark's Infiniband protocol dissector implementation. This flaw exists in Wireshark versions ranging from 1.0.6 through 1.2.0, affecting unspecified platforms where the software operates. The vulnerability manifests as a remote attack vector that can trigger a crash in the network protocol analyzer, effectively rendering the application unusable and disrupting network monitoring operations. The unspecified nature of both the underlying platform and attack vectors suggests this issue may have multiple exploitation pathways or platform-specific conditions that could lead to system instability. The Infiniband dissector component is responsible for parsing and analyzing Infiniband network traffic, which is commonly used in high-performance computing environments and data centers for interconnecting servers and storage systems.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability falls under the category of memory corruption or buffer overflow conditions that can occur during protocol parsing operations. When Wireshark processes Infiniband traffic containing malformed or specially crafted packets, the dissector fails to properly validate input data, leading to unexpected program termination. The issue specifically affects the protocol analysis engine's ability to handle certain packet structures within the Infiniband communication framework, which operates at the data link layer and provides high-speed network communication capabilities. The dissector's failure to properly manage memory allocation or handle edge cases in packet structure parsing creates conditions where remote attackers can craft malicious traffic that causes the application to crash. This type of vulnerability is classified as a CWE-121, which encompasses heap-based buffer overflow conditions, or potentially CWE-122 for stack-based buffer overflows depending on the specific implementation details of the memory management within the dissector.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-2563 extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can severely compromise network monitoring capabilities in enterprise environments. Organizations relying on Wireshark for network analysis, troubleshooting, and security monitoring face significant risks when this vulnerability exists in their network infrastructure. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries need not be physically present on the network to exploit the weakness, making it particularly dangerous in distributed computing environments. In data center or high-performance computing environments where Infiniband networks are prevalent, this vulnerability could lead to complete monitoring failures, potentially masking other security incidents or network issues. The attack could be executed through various means including network packet injection, man-in-the-middle attacks, or by compromising systems that transmit Infiniband traffic, making the attack surface quite broad. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and represents a significant risk to network availability and integrity.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-2563 primarily focus on immediate version updates and network segmentation approaches. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to Wireshark versions that have addressed this vulnerability, typically those released after the 1.2.0 version where the issue was resolved through proper input validation and memory management improvements. The patching process should be conducted with careful consideration of network monitoring requirements, ensuring that the updated software maintains compatibility with existing network analysis workflows. Network administrators should also implement monitoring controls to detect unusual traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, though the nature of this vulnerability makes detection challenging since it typically results in immediate application crashes. Additional protective measures include implementing network access controls to limit exposure of systems running Wireshark to potentially malicious traffic, and establishing redundant monitoring systems that can continue operations even if primary analysis tools become unavailable. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining current network analysis tools and the potential risks associated with protocol dissector implementations in network monitoring software.