CVE-2013-1583 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
The dissect_version_4_primary_header function in epan/dissectors/packet-dtn.c in the DTN dissector in Wireshark 1.6.x before 1.6.13 and 1.8.x before 1.8.5 accesses an inappropriate pointer, 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 • 12/22/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-1583 resides within the DTN dissector component of Wireshark, specifically in the dissect_version_4_primary_header function located at epan/dissectors/packet-dtn.c. This flaw represents a classic case of improper pointer handling that occurs during the packet analysis process, where the application fails to properly validate or sanitize input data before attempting to access memory locations. The issue affects Wireshark versions 1.6.x prior to 1.6.13 and 1.8.x prior to 1.8.5, indicating a widespread impact across multiple release branches of the network protocol analyzer.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from a buffer overread condition that manifests when the DTN dissector processes malformed DTN (Delay Tolerant Networking) packets. When a specially crafted packet is processed, the dissect_version_4_primary_header function attempts to access memory through a pointer that has not been properly validated or initialized, leading to an application crash. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions that can result in denial of service or information disclosure. The improper pointer access occurs during the protocol decoding phase, where Wireshark's dissector engine attempts to parse the header structure of DTN version 4 packets without adequate bounds checking.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant denial of service risk to network monitoring and analysis systems that rely on Wireshark for packet inspection. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious DTN packets that, when processed by the affected Wireshark versions, will cause the application to terminate unexpectedly. This creates a scenario where network administrators or security analysts conducting monitoring activities could be disrupted by a simple packet injection attack, potentially leading to loss of critical network visibility. The impact extends beyond mere service interruption as it can compromise the integrity of network analysis workflows and potentially provide attackers with information about the target system's configuration or the presence of Wireshark in the network stack.
The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1499.004 technique for Network Denial of Service, specifically targeting the application layer where the vulnerability manifests. The exploitation requires minimal technical sophistication, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network monitoring tools are critical infrastructure components. The vulnerability's exploitation pathway follows a typical remote code execution pattern through malformed input, where the attacker does not need elevated privileges but simply needs to inject a specially crafted packet into the network stream that Wireshark is monitoring. Organizations using affected Wireshark versions should immediately implement mitigations including updating to patched releases, implementing network segmentation to limit exposure, and deploying additional monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. The patch for this vulnerability specifically addresses the pointer validation issue by ensuring proper bounds checking before memory access operations, thereby preventing the out-of-bounds read condition that leads to application termination.