CVE-2011-1592 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
The NFS dissector in epan/dissectors/packet-nfs.c in Wireshark 1.4.x before 1.4.5 on Windows uses an incorrect integer data type during decoding of SETCLIENTID calls, 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 • 07/31/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1592 represents a critical buffer overflow condition within the Network File System (NFS) dissector component of Wireshark version 1.4.x prior to 1.4.5 on Windows operating systems. This flaw exists in the packet-nfs.c file within the epan/dissectors directory, where the dissector responsible for analyzing NFS protocol traffic contains a fundamental type casting error that directly impacts how SETCLIENTID calls are processed during packet capture analysis. The improper handling of integer data types during the decoding process creates a scenario where maliciously crafted network traffic can trigger unexpected behavior in the application.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from an incorrect integer data type usage specifically during the parsing of SETCLIENTID operations within NFS protocol communications. When Wireshark processes a crafted .pcap file containing maliciously formatted NFS packets, the dissector attempts to decode the SETCLIENTID call using an inappropriate integer size or type, leading to memory corruption and subsequent application instability. This type mismatch causes the application to attempt operations on memory locations that are either invalid or improperly allocated, resulting in a crash of the Wireshark application process. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited through simple file manipulation, requiring no network connectivity or active attack vectors beyond the mere opening of a malicious packet capture file.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for network security analysts and forensic investigators who rely on Wireshark for network traffic analysis. The remote code execution potential, while not directly allowing arbitrary code execution, effectively enables a denial of service attack that can disrupt critical network monitoring operations. Security professionals may inadvertently trigger the vulnerability while analyzing packet captures from compromised networks or conducting routine network troubleshooting, leading to complete application failure and loss of valuable forensic data. The Windows-specific nature of the vulnerability means that organizations using Windows-based systems for network analysis are particularly at risk, as the application crash occurs during normal packet processing operations rather than requiring specialized attack conditions.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of array indices, and represents a classic case of integer overflow or underflow conditions that lead to buffer overflows. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for execution through command-line interfaces and T1499.004 for denial of service attacks, as the flaw enables adversaries to disrupt network monitoring capabilities through crafted packet captures. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Wireshark version 1.4.5 or later, which contains the necessary patches to correct the integer type handling in the NFS dissector. Additionally, network security teams should exercise caution when opening packet captures from untrusted sources and consider implementing automated scanning of packet files for known malicious patterns before analysis. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper input validation and type safety in network protocol analysis tools, particularly those handling complex binary protocols like NFS that require precise parsing of network traffic.