CVE-2011-0538 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
Wireshark 1.2.0 through 1.2.14, 1.4.0 through 1.4.3, and 1.5.0 frees an uninitialized pointer during processing of a .pcap file in the pcap-ng format, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a malformed file.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/08/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-0538 represents a critical memory management flaw in Wireshark network protocol analyzer versions 1.2.0 through 1.2.14, 1.4.0 through 1.4.3, and 1.5.0. This issue manifests during the processing of pcap-ng format files, which are used for storing network traffic captures. The flaw stems from improper handling of uninitialized memory pointers, creating a condition where the application attempts to free memory that has not been properly allocated or initialized. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of memory corruption issues and is classified as CWE-415, which specifically addresses double free errors and other memory management problems. The vulnerability operates at the application layer where Wireshark processes network capture files, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through maliciously crafted network traffic captures that users might encounter during normal operation.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when Wireshark encounters a malformed pcap-ng file that contains improperly initialized pointer values. During the parsing process, the application attempts to free memory that was never properly allocated, leading to unpredictable behavior including memory corruption that can result in application crashes or potentially more severe consequences. The remote attack vector means that an attacker could craft a malicious pcap-ng file and deliver it to a victim who might open it with Wireshark, without requiring any special privileges or user interaction beyond opening the file. This vulnerability directly maps to the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, where the attacker can manipulate the application's memory management to achieve their objectives. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service as the memory corruption could potentially be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks depending on the execution environment and memory layout.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-0538 is significant for organizations that rely on Wireshark for network monitoring, troubleshooting, and security analysis. Network administrators and security analysts who regularly process network capture files may inadvertently trigger the vulnerability when examining suspicious traffic or performing forensic analysis on potentially malicious captures. The vulnerability affects the availability and reliability of the network analysis tool, potentially disrupting critical network monitoring operations and forensic investigations. Organizations using vulnerable versions of Wireshark face the risk of service interruption when processing legitimate or malicious capture files, as well as potential exposure to more severe consequences if the memory corruption leads to arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability also impacts the integrity of network analysis workflows, as users cannot trust that the application will properly handle all types of capture files, creating uncertainty in network troubleshooting and security assessments. Remediation requires immediate patching of affected Wireshark versions, with users advised to avoid opening untrusted capture files until the vulnerability is addressed through official security updates.