CVE-2011-1590 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
The X.509if dissector in Wireshark 1.2.x before 1.2.16 and 1.4.x before 1.4.5 does not properly initialize certain global variables, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted .pcap file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1590 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Wireshark's X.509if dissector component. This issue affects versions 1.2.x prior to 1.2.16 and 1.4.x prior to 1.4.5, where the dissector fails to properly initialize specific global variables during packet processing. The flaw manifests when analyzing crafted .pcap files that contain maliciously formatted X.509 certificate data, leading to application instability and potential system crashes.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper variable initialization within the dissector's code structure. When Wireshark processes network traffic containing X.509 certificates, the X.509if dissector attempts to parse certificate information and populate global variables with relevant data. However, certain variables remain uninitialized, creating a scenario where memory references become invalid or point to unexpected locations. This initialization failure creates a condition where subsequent processing operations attempt to access or modify uninitialized memory segments, resulting in segmentation faults or application crashes.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to network security analysts and forensic investigators who rely on Wireshark for network traffic analysis. Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting specially designed .pcap files containing malformed X.509 certificate data that triggers the uninitialized variable behavior. The remote exploitation capability means that adversaries can deliver malicious packet captures through various channels including email attachments, network shares, or web downloads, making the attack surface particularly broad. When victims open these malicious captures in vulnerable Wireshark versions, the application crashes immediately, effectively denying service to legitimate users who require network analysis capabilities.
The impact of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-457, which describes "Use of Uninitialized Variable" in software development practices. This weakness directly contributes to system instability and denial of service conditions that compromise the availability of network analysis tools. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1499.004, specifically targeting "Evasion: Network Denial of Service," as it enables adversaries to disrupt network monitoring and analysis operations through deliberate application crashes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-1590 primarily involve immediate version upgrades to patched releases of Wireshark. Users should upgrade to Wireshark 1.2.16 or 1.4.5, which contain proper variable initialization fixes. Network administrators should implement strict file validation procedures for packet capture files, particularly when analyzing traffic from untrusted sources. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious packet captures. Regular security updates and patch management procedures should be enforced to prevent similar vulnerabilities from affecting network analysis tools. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper initialization practices in network protocol analysis software and demonstrates how seemingly minor coding errors can result in significant operational disruptions.