CVE-2011-1142 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
Stack consumption vulnerability in the dissect_ber_choice function in the BER dissector in Wireshark 1.2.x through 1.2.15 and 1.4.x through 1.4.4 might allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via vectors involving self-referential ASN.1 CHOICE values.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1142 represents a critical stack consumption issue within Wireshark's BER (Basic Encoding Rules) dissector functionality. This flaw exists in versions 1.2.x through 1.2.15 and 1.4.x through 1.4.4 of the network protocol analyzer, where the dissect_ber_choice function fails to properly handle recursive ASN.1 CHOICE structures. The vulnerability specifically targets the handling of self-referential ASN.1 CHOICE values, which are valid constructs in the Abstract Syntax Notation One standard but can be exploited to create infinite recursive loops during packet analysis. The issue stems from insufficient bounds checking and recursive call management within the dissector's implementation, creating a scenario where malformed packets containing self-referential structures can cause the application to enter an infinite loop. This behavior manifests as a denial of service condition where the affected Wireshark instance becomes unresponsive and consumes excessive system resources.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when Wireshark processes network traffic containing specially crafted ASN.1 encoded packets with self-referential CHOICE structures. The dissect_ber_choice function recursively processes these structures without proper termination conditions, leading to unbounded stack consumption. Each recursive call consumes additional stack space, and when the structure is self-referential, the recursion never terminates naturally. This creates a classic stack overflow scenario that results in infinite looping rather than a traditional crash. The vulnerability maps to CWE-674, which describes "Uncontrolled Recursion" in software systems, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for Network Denial of Service. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation and lacks proper recursion depth limiting mechanisms that would normally be implemented in robust parsing libraries.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-1142 is severe for any organization relying on Wireshark for network monitoring, security analysis, or forensic investigations. When an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can cause complete service disruption of network analysis tools, potentially leading to loss of network visibility and security monitoring capabilities. The infinite loop condition affects not only the specific packet processing but can also impact the entire Wireshark application lifecycle, requiring manual intervention to terminate the process. In environments where Wireshark is used for real-time network monitoring, this vulnerability can result in critical security gaps during attack periods. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be triggered through passive network traffic analysis, meaning that simply capturing and analyzing network packets can lead to system compromise. Organizations using affected Wireshark versions face potential operational downtime and increased risk of undetected malicious activity during the period when the vulnerability exists.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-1142 primarily involve immediate version upgrades to Wireshark 1.4.5 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the recursive loop issue. The fix implemented by the Wireshark development team includes introducing proper recursion depth limits and enhanced bounds checking within the dissect_ber_choice function. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, as well as maintain regular patching schedules for all network analysis tools. Additional defensive measures include configuring network access controls to limit exposure to untrusted traffic, implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify anomalous packet patterns, and establishing incident response procedures for dealing with denial of service events. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper input validation and recursion management in protocol parsing libraries, with the fix serving as a model for similar implementations in other network analysis tools. Organizations should also consider implementing automated vulnerability scanning to identify potentially affected systems and ensure that all network monitoring infrastructure remains up-to-date with security patches.