CVE-2010-2993 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
The IPMI dissector in Wireshark 1.2.0 through 1.2.9 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/22/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-2993 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Wireshark's IPMI protocol dissector. This issue affects Wireshark versions 1.2.0 through 1.2.9, where the IPMI dissector contains a logic error that can be exploited by remote attackers to trigger an infinite loop condition. The IPMI protocol dissector is responsible for parsing and analyzing Intelligent Platform Management Interface traffic, which is commonly used for out-of-band system management and monitoring in enterprise environments. When processing malformed or specially crafted IPMI packets, the dissector enters an infinite loop, causing the application to consume excessive CPU resources and ultimately become unresponsive.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the IPMI protocol parsing logic. Attackers can craft specific packet structures that cause the dissector to enter a loop where it repeatedly processes the same data without making forward progress. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-835, which specifically addresses infinite loops in software implementations. The flaw occurs during packet analysis when the dissector attempts to parse IPMI messages that contain unexpected or malformed data structures, leading to the execution path that results in the infinite loop condition. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered remotely without requiring authentication or special privileges, making it an attractive target for denial of service attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can affect network monitoring and security operations that rely on Wireshark for traffic analysis. Organizations using Wireshark for network troubleshooting, security auditing, or compliance monitoring may experience complete service interruption when encountering maliciously crafted IPMI traffic. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where IPMI is commonly used for server management, as attackers could potentially flood network monitoring systems with crafted packets to render them unusable. The infinite loop condition causes the Wireshark application to become unresponsive, requiring manual intervention to terminate the process and restart the application, which can lead to significant operational downtime and loss of network visibility during critical incidents.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-2993 primarily involve upgrading to a patched version of Wireshark, specifically version 1.2.10 or later, where the IPMI dissector has been corrected to properly handle malformed input. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious traffic, particularly in environments where IPMI traffic is not strictly required. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation and error handling in protocol parsers, as highlighted by ATT&CK technique T1499.001 for network denial of service attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on unusual CPU utilization patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and establish regular patch management procedures to ensure all network analysis tools remain up to date with security fixes.