CVE-2012-6061 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
The dissect_wtp_common function in epan/dissectors/packet-wtp.c in the WTP dissector in Wireshark 1.6.x before 1.6.12 and 1.8.x before 1.8.4 uses an incorrect data type for a certain length field, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (integer overflow and infinite loop) via a crafted value in a packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/20/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-6061 affects the Wireshark network protocol analyzer software, specifically within the WTP dissector component responsible for analyzing Wireless Trace Protocol packets. This issue resides in the dissect_wtp_common function located in epan/dissectors/packet-wtp.c, where a critical type mismatch occurs in the handling of packet length fields. The flaw represents a classic integer overflow vulnerability that can be exploited remotely to cause system instability and denial of service conditions.
The technical root cause stems from an incorrect data type assignment for a length field within the WTP dissector's packet parsing logic. When Wireshark processes a malformed WTP packet containing a crafted value in the length field, the improper type handling triggers an integer overflow condition. This overflow subsequently leads to an infinite loop during packet processing, as the dissector fails to properly validate or handle the malformed data. The vulnerability specifically impacts Wireshark versions 1.6.x prior to 1.6.12 and 1.8.x prior to 1.8.4, indicating a widespread issue affecting multiple stable release branches of the software.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to network monitoring and security analysis operations. An attacker capable of sending malicious WTP packets to a Wireshark instance can trigger a denial of service condition that effectively renders the network analysis tool unusable. The infinite loop created by the integer overflow prevents the dissector from processing subsequent packets, causing the entire capture session to become unresponsive. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where Wireshark is used for continuous network monitoring, incident response, or security auditing activities.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-190, which describes integer overflow conditions, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with the ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks. The remote exploitability means that attackers do not require local access to the system running Wireshark, making this a particularly concerning vulnerability for network security professionals who rely on Wireshark for network traffic analysis. Organizations using Wireshark in production environments face potential operational disruptions and may experience complete loss of network visibility during attack scenarios.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of affected Wireshark installations to versions 1.6.12 or 1.8.4 and later, which contain the necessary fixes for the type handling issue. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious traffic. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and type safety in protocol dissector implementations, particularly in security tools that process untrusted network data. Regular security updates and vulnerability assessments should be maintained to protect against similar issues in other network analysis tools and protocol parsers.