CVE-2013-1577 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
The dissect_sip_p_charging_func_addresses function in epan/dissectors/packet-sip.c in the SIP dissector in Wireshark 1.6.x before 1.6.13 and 1.8.x before 1.8.5 does not properly handle offset data associated with a quoted string, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via a malformed packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/22/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2013-1577 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Wireshark's Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) dissector component. This issue specifically affects versions of Wireshark prior to 1.6.13 and 1.8.5, where the dissect_sip_p_charging_func_addresses function fails to correctly process offset data associated with quoted strings in SIP packets. The flaw exists in the epan/dissectors/packet-sip.c file, which is responsible for parsing and analyzing SIP protocol traffic within the network analysis tool. When processing malformed SIP packets containing specially crafted quoted string data, the dissector enters an infinite loop, causing the application to become unresponsive and effectively denying service to legitimate users.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and handling within the SIP protocol parsing logic. The dissect_sip_p_charging_func_addresses function does not adequately validate the offset parameters associated with quoted strings, leading to a condition where the parsing algorithm becomes trapped in a continuous loop. This occurs because the function fails to properly account for boundary conditions when processing the offset data, causing it to repeatedly examine the same packet data without making forward progress. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-835, which describes infinite loops in software applications, where the loop control variable fails to advance properly or the loop termination condition is never met.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to network analysis environments that rely on Wireshark for protocol inspection and troubleshooting. An attacker capable of sending malicious SIP packets to a system running an affected version of Wireshark could trigger the infinite loop condition, causing the application to consume excessive CPU resources and become unresponsive. This denial of service condition would prevent network administrators from performing critical protocol analysis tasks, potentially masking actual network issues or preventing security investigations. The impact extends beyond simple application unresponsiveness, as it could be exploited in automated attacks where multiple malicious packets are sent to overwhelm multiple Wireshark instances or systems.
The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and represents a classic example of how protocol parsing flaws can be exploited for service disruption. Network security professionals using Wireshark for traffic analysis, forensics, or monitoring purposes would be particularly vulnerable to this attack vector, as the tool itself becomes the target of the denial of service. The flaw also demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in protocol dissectors, as the same issue could potentially be exploited in other network analysis tools that implement similar parsing logic for SIP protocol elements.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Wireshark installations to address this vulnerability, as no effective workarounds exist for the underlying parsing issue. The fix implemented in versions 1.6.13 and 1.8.5 involved correcting the offset handling logic within the dissect_sip_p_charging_func_addresses function to properly validate and process quoted string data. Security teams should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect unusual packet patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while maintaining updated network analysis tools to prevent similar vulnerabilities from affecting their operational environments. The incident underscores the critical importance of thorough input validation and boundary condition checking in protocol parsing components, particularly in security tools that process potentially malicious network traffic.