CVE-2011-1139 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
wiretap/pcapng.c in Wireshark 1.2.0 through 1.2.14 and 1.4.0 through 1.4.3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a pcap-ng file that contains a large packet-length field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/08/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1139 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Wireshark's packet capture file processing capabilities. This issue affects multiple versions of the popular network protocol analyzer, specifically targeting the wiretap/pcapng.c component responsible for handling pcap-ng format files. The vulnerability manifests when the application processes specially crafted pcap-ng files containing malformed packet-length fields that exceed normal operational parameters, leading to application instability and potential system crashes.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in insufficient input validation within the pcap-ng file parser. When Wireshark encounters a pcap-ng file with an oversized packet-length field, the application fails to properly sanitize or limit the size of the data being processed. This lack of bounds checking creates an exploitable condition where remote attackers can craft malicious pcap-ng files designed to trigger integer overflow or memory allocation issues. The flaw operates at the parsing layer of the application, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered simply by opening or processing the malicious file, without requiring any special privileges or complex attack vectors.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-1139 extends beyond simple application instability to encompass broader network security implications. Network security analysts and forensic investigators who rely on Wireshark for traffic analysis become vulnerable to targeted denial of service attacks that could disrupt critical monitoring operations. The vulnerability affects both the desktop and command-line versions of Wireshark, making it accessible to attackers regardless of the deployment environment. When exploited, the vulnerability results in immediate application termination, potentially causing loss of ongoing network analysis sessions and requiring manual restart of the application.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which describes improper validation of length fields in input data processing, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1499.001, which involves the use of denial of service attacks against applications. The flaw represents a classic buffer over-read condition where the application attempts to process data beyond allocated memory boundaries, leading to segmentation faults and application crashes. Organizations using Wireshark for network monitoring, incident response, and security analysis must consider this vulnerability as a potential attack surface that could be exploited to disrupt network operations or gain unauthorized access to security monitoring systems.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2011-1139 requires immediate patching of affected Wireshark versions to the latest stable releases that contain proper input validation and bounds checking mechanisms. Network security teams should implement file validation procedures for pcap-ng files received from external sources, particularly in environments where untrusted data is processed. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious packet capture files. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of input validation in network security tools, as even seemingly benign file format processing can become a vector for application-level attacks that compromise system availability and operational continuity.