CVE-2012-4289 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
epan/dissectors/packet-afp.c in the AFP dissector in Wireshark 1.4.x before 1.4.15, 1.6.x before 1.6.10, and 1.8.x before 1.8.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (loop and CPU consumption) via a large number of ACL entries.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-4289 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Wireshark's AFP (Apple Filing Protocol) dissector component. This issue affects multiple versions of Wireshark including 1.4.x before 1.4.15, 1.6.x before 1.6.10, and 1.8.x before 1.8.2, demonstrating the widespread impact of this particular flaw across the software's release history. The vulnerability specifically targets the packet-afp.c file which handles the parsing and interpretation of AFP protocol traffic within the network analysis tool.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the AFP dissector's handling of Access Control List (ACL) entries. When Wireshark processes network packets containing AFP protocol data with an excessive number of ACL entries, the dissector enters an infinite loop during the parsing process. This loop consumes excessive CPU resources and effectively renders the application unresponsive, creating a denial of service condition that impacts the entire network analysis workflow. The flaw operates by failing to properly limit or validate the number of ACL entries processed during packet dissection, allowing malicious actors to craft packets that trigger this problematic behavior.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-4289 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise network monitoring operations and security analysis capabilities. Network administrators and security professionals who rely on Wireshark for traffic analysis and incident response may find their analysis tools rendered ineffective when processing maliciously crafted AFP traffic. This vulnerability particularly threatens environments where continuous network monitoring is essential, as the denial of service condition can persist until the Wireshark application is manually restarted or the problematic packets are filtered out. The loop-based nature of the vulnerability means that even a single malicious packet can cause sustained CPU consumption, making it difficult to distinguish between legitimate traffic and attack payloads.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-835, which addresses the issue of infinite loops in software implementations. The flaw demonstrates how protocol parsing libraries can become attack vectors when proper input validation and resource limiting mechanisms are absent. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1499.004 technique for "Network Denial of Service" and T1566.002 for "Phishing via Service" when considering how attackers might use this flaw to disrupt network analysis operations. Organizations utilizing Wireshark for security operations should consider implementing network segmentation and traffic filtering rules to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability, particularly when dealing with untrusted network traffic. The remediation strategy involves updating to patched versions of Wireshark where the AFP dissector properly validates ACL entry counts and implements appropriate loop detection mechanisms to prevent excessive CPU consumption during packet processing.