CVE-2012-6059 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
The dissect_isakmp function in epan/dissectors/packet-isakmp.c in the ISAKMP dissector in Wireshark 1.6.x before 1.6.12 and 1.8.x before 1.8.4 uses an incorrect data structure to determine IKEv2 decryption parameters, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a malformed packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/20/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-6059 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Wireshark's ISAKMP dissector component. This issue affects versions 1.6.x prior to 1.6.12 and 1.8.x prior to 1.8.4, where the dissect_isakmp function in epan/dissectors/packet-isakmp.c contains a fundamental data structure error. The flaw specifically impacts the IKEv2 decryption parameter determination process, creating a condition where malformed packets can trigger unexpected behavior in the network protocol analysis tool.
The technical root cause stems from an incorrect data structure usage within the ISAKMP dissector that governs how IKEv2 packets are processed and decrypted. When Wireshark encounters a malformed IKEv2 packet, the flawed implementation attempts to determine decryption parameters using an improperly structured data element. This misconfiguration leads to memory access violations and application instability, ultimately resulting in a complete application crash. The vulnerability operates at the protocol dissector level, meaning it affects how Wireshark interprets and displays network traffic rather than the network itself.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to network security professionals who rely on Wireshark for traffic analysis and incident response activities. An attacker capable of sending malicious IKEv2 packets to a system running the vulnerable Wireshark version could remotely trigger a denial of service condition, effectively rendering the network analysis tool unusable. This compromise directly impacts the availability of critical network monitoring capabilities and could hinder security investigations during active incidents. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that any system processing network traffic containing the malformed IKEv2 packets could be affected without requiring local access or authentication.
The impact of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1499.100, which covers network denial of service attacks. Organizations using vulnerable Wireshark versions face potential operational disruption during security assessments, network troubleshooting, or incident response activities where the tool might be compromised by malicious packet traffic. The vulnerability's presence in widely-used network analysis tools means that even systems not directly targeted could experience service interruptions when processing traffic containing the malformed packets. Security teams should prioritize updating to patched versions immediately to prevent exploitation and maintain network monitoring capabilities.
Mitigation strategies include immediate deployment of Wireshark versions 1.6.12 or 1.8.4 and later, which contain the necessary fixes for the data structure implementation. Network administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation and packet filtering rules to prevent potentially malicious IKEv2 traffic from reaching systems running vulnerable versions. Regular patch management processes should be enforced to maintain current Wireshark installations, and security teams should conduct periodic vulnerability assessments to identify any remaining instances of the vulnerable software within their environments. Additionally, monitoring for unusual network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts can provide early warning of potential attacks targeting this vulnerability.