CVE-2012-6053 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
epan/dissectors/packet-usb.c in the USB dissector in Wireshark 1.6.x before 1.6.12 and 1.8.x before 1.8.4 relies on a length field to calculate an offset value, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via a zero value for this field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/20/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-6053 affects the USB dissector component within Wireshark, specifically in the packet-usb.c file that handles USB protocol analysis. This flaw exists in Wireshark versions 1.6.x prior to 1.6.12 and 1.8.x prior to 1.8.4, representing a critical security issue that impacts network analysis tools widely used by security professionals and network administrators. The vulnerability stems from improper validation of length fields within USB protocol packet structures, creating a scenario where maliciously crafted USB traffic can trigger unexpected behavior in the dissecting engine.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the USB dissector processes packet data and relies on a length field to determine an offset value for parsing subsequent data segments. When this length field contains a zero value, the dissector fails to properly validate this input before proceeding with calculations that determine memory access boundaries. This failure creates an infinite loop condition where the parsing routine continuously attempts to process data at the same memory location, effectively consuming system resources and causing the application to become unresponsive. The flaw represents a classic case of improper input validation and inadequate boundary checking, which aligns with CWE-129 and CWE-131 categories related to input validation and buffer overflow conditions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to network security operations since Wireshark is extensively used for network traffic analysis, forensic investigations, and protocol debugging across enterprise and security organizations. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially formatted USB packets that contain zero length fields, then transmitting these packets to a victim who is running an affected version of Wireshark. The resulting denial of service condition can cause the application to hang indefinitely, potentially disrupting network monitoring operations, security audits, and incident response activities. This type of attack falls under the ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for Network Denial of Service and represents a low-effort but high-impact method of service disruption.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability requires immediate patching of affected Wireshark installations to versions 1.6.12 or 1.8.4, which contain the necessary code modifications to properly validate length fields before using them in offset calculations. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect unusual USB traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additional defensive measures include configuring Wireshark to limit processing time for individual packets and implementing automated patch management systems to ensure all network analysis tools remain up to date. Security teams should also consider deploying network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify and block suspicious USB protocol traffic patterns that might be attempting to exploit this vulnerability.