CVE-2010-2992 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
packet-gsm_a_rr.c in the GSM A RR dissector in Wireshark 1.2.2 through 1.2.9 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via unknown vectors that trigger a NULL pointer dereference.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/22/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-2992 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Wireshark's GSM A RR dissector component. This issue affects versions 1.2.2 through 1.2.9 of the popular network protocol analyzer, where a specific condition in packet-gsm_a_rr.c file creates an exploitable NULL pointer dereference scenario. The vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and error handling within the dissector's processing logic for GSM A RR protocol packets, which are used in cellular network communications.
The technical implementation of this flaw occurs when the GSM A RR dissector processes malformed or specially crafted GSM protocol packets that contain unexpected data structures or invalid field values. When the dissector attempts to parse these packets, it fails to properly validate pointers before dereferencing them, leading to a NULL pointer dereference exception. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-476 which specifically addresses NULL pointer dereference conditions, making it a well-documented weakness in software security practices. The crash occurs during packet analysis when Wireshark attempts to display or process the malformed packet data, causing the application to terminate unexpectedly.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents significant risk to network monitoring and analysis environments that rely on Wireshark for cellular protocol inspection. Attackers can remotely trigger this denial of service condition by crafting malicious GSM A RR packets and transmitting them to a target system running the vulnerable Wireshark version. The impact extends beyond simple application crashes as it can disrupt network troubleshooting activities, compromise forensic analysis capabilities, and potentially provide an attack vector for more sophisticated multi-stage attacks. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where Wireshark is used for continuous network monitoring, as it can cause service interruptions that may go unnoticed until network performance degradation occurs.
The attack surface for this vulnerability aligns with the ATT&CK framework's T1499 technique for network denial of service, where adversaries target network infrastructure tools to disrupt operations. Organizations using Wireshark for network analysis should consider the broader implications of this vulnerability, as it demonstrates inadequate input validation practices that could lead to more severe exploitation opportunities. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper error handling and memory management in protocol dissector implementations. Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including updating to Wireshark versions 1.2.10 or later, where the NULL pointer dereference has been resolved through improved input validation and defensive programming practices. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring to detect anomalous packet patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, while maintaining awareness of the broader security implications of dissector-based vulnerabilities in network analysis tools.