CVE-2012-4287 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
epan/dissectors/packet-mongo.c in the MongoDB dissector in Wireshark 1.8.x before 1.8.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (loop and CPU consumption) via a small value for a BSON document length.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-4287 represents a critical denial of service flaw within the MongoDB dissector component of Wireshark version 1.8.x prior to 1.8.2. This issue resides in the packet-mongo.c file which processes MongoDB protocol traffic during network packet analysis. The vulnerability manifests when the dissector encounters a BSON document with an unexpectedly small length value, creating a condition where the parsing logic enters an infinite loop or consumes excessive CPU resources. This flaw specifically targets the BSON (Binary JSON) document parsing mechanism that Wireshark employs to analyze MongoDB network traffic, making it particularly dangerous in environments where MongoDB data flows are monitored or analyzed.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the MongoDB dissector's BSON document length parsing routine. When a malformed BSON document with an abnormally small length field is encountered, the dissector's parsing loop fails to properly handle the edge case, leading to either infinite iteration or sustained high CPU utilization. The root cause can be categorized under CWE-835, which deals with loops that do not make progress toward termination, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.1, specifically focusing on network denial of service attacks. The flaw demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where boundary conditions are not properly validated, allowing malicious actors to exploit the protocol parsing logic through crafted network packets.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-4287 extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can effectively render Wireshark unusable for network monitoring purposes during active MongoDB traffic analysis. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by simply sending a single malformed MongoDB packet containing a small BSON length value, causing the Wireshark application to consume 100% CPU resources or enter an infinite loop state. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in production network monitoring environments where continuous packet analysis is required. The exploitability is high due to the minimal payload required and the fact that the vulnerability affects the core protocol dissector functionality, meaning that any network traffic containing MongoDB data will trigger the denial of service condition regardless of the actual MongoDB server's security posture.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-4287 primarily involve upgrading to Wireshark version 1.8.2 or later, which contains the patched dissector implementation that properly validates BSON document length fields. Network administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation or traffic filtering to limit exposure to MongoDB traffic when possible, though this approach does not address the core vulnerability. The fix implemented by Wireshark developers included enhanced input validation within the BSON parsing routine, ensuring that document length values are properly bounded and that edge cases are handled gracefully without causing system resource exhaustion. Organizations should also implement regular security updates and patch management processes to prevent similar vulnerabilities from affecting their network analysis tools. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of robust input validation in protocol parsers and the critical need for thorough testing of edge cases in network monitoring applications.