CVE-2012-4048 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
The PPP dissector in Wireshark 1.4.x before 1.4.14, 1.6.x before 1.6.9, and 1.8.x before 1.8.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (invalid pointer dereference and application crash) via a crafted packet, as demonstrated by a usbmon dump.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/07/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-4048 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Wireshark's Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) dissector functionality. This vulnerability affects multiple versions of Wireshark including 1.4.x prior to 1.4.14, 1.6.x prior to 1.6.9, and 1.8.x prior to 1.8.1, making it a widespread issue across the software's version history. The flaw manifests when the application processes specially crafted PPP packets that trigger invalid pointer dereference conditions, leading to application crashes and complete service disruption. The vulnerability was demonstrated using usbmon packet captures, indicating that the issue can be exploited through various network monitoring scenarios where PPP traffic is analyzed.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in improper input validation within the PPP dissector component of Wireshark. When processing malformed PPP packets, the dissector fails to properly validate pointer references and memory access patterns, resulting in invalid pointer dereference conditions that cause the application to terminate unexpectedly. This type of flaw falls under CWE-476 which specifically addresses NULL pointer dereference vulnerabilities, where an application attempts to access memory through a null pointer reference. The vulnerability demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where the dissector does not adequately handle edge cases or malformed input data that could be encountered in real-world network traffic analysis scenarios.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to network security analysts and administrators who rely on Wireshark for network traffic analysis and troubleshooting. An attacker capable of sending malicious PPP packets to a system running an affected version of Wireshark can trigger immediate application crashes, effectively rendering the network monitoring tool unusable for the duration of the service disruption. This denial of service condition can be particularly damaging in enterprise environments where network monitoring is critical for security operations and incident response activities. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous as any network entity capable of transmitting PPP packets can potentially trigger the flaw.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can compromise the integrity of network analysis operations and potentially provide attackers with information about the target system's software configuration. Network security professionals using affected Wireshark versions may find their monitoring capabilities suddenly compromised during critical security events or incident investigations, potentially leading to missed security incidents or delayed response times. The vulnerability also represents a potential attack vector for more sophisticated adversaries who might use it as part of a broader attack strategy to disable network monitoring capabilities. Organizations should consider this vulnerability in their threat modeling and incident response planning, as it could be leveraged as a means to disrupt security operations and potentially mask other malicious activities within the network infrastructure.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate deployment of patched versions of Wireshark, specifically versions 1.4.14, 1.6.9, and 1.8.1 respectively, which contain the necessary code modifications to properly handle malformed PPP packets. System administrators should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious traffic, while monitoring for unusual network activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing alternative network monitoring solutions or network access controls that can prevent the processing of untrusted packet data, following the principle of least privilege and defensive security practices. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of regular software updates and patch management programs, as well as the need for robust input validation in network analysis tools that process untrusted data from network traffic.