CVE-2013-2476 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
The dissect_hartip function in epan/dissectors/packet-hartip.c in the HART/IP dissector in Wireshark 1.8.x before 1.8.6 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via a packet with a header that is too short.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/29/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-2476 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Wireshark's HART/IP protocol dissector. This issue affects versions 1.8.x prior to 1.8.6 and specifically targets the dissect_hartip function located in epan/dissectors/packet-hartip.c. The HART/IP protocol is used for communication in industrial automation environments, particularly for connecting smart field instruments with control systems through a TCP/IP network. The vulnerability manifests when Wireshark processes packets that contain malformed HART/IP headers that are shorter than expected, creating a condition where the dissector enters an infinite loop during packet analysis.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation within the dissect_hartip function which fails to properly handle packets with insufficient header length. When processing such malformed packets, the function does not perform proper bounds checking or length validation before attempting to parse header fields. This allows an attacker to craft specially crafted packets that contain headers shorter than the minimum required size, causing the dissector to continuously iterate through processing logic without making progress toward parsing the complete packet structure. The infinite loop occurs because the parsing logic does not properly account for the case where header fields are truncated or missing, leading to a scenario where loop conditions never terminate correctly.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for network monitoring and analysis environments that rely on Wireshark for packet inspection. An attacker positioned on the network can exploit this vulnerability by sending a single malformed HART/IP packet to a victim system running an affected version of Wireshark. Once processed, the dissector enters an infinite loop that consumes excessive CPU resources and prevents the application from processing subsequent packets. This effectively renders the network analysis capability useless for the duration of the attack, creating a denial of service condition that can persist until the Wireshark application is manually terminated or the system is rebooted. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in industrial environments where continuous network monitoring is critical for operational safety and system integrity.
This vulnerability maps to CWE-835, which describes the weakness of an infinite loop or infinite recursion in software systems. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation practices that fail to account for malformed or truncated data structures, a common pattern in network protocol parsing vulnerabilities. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this represents a denial of service technique that can be categorized under T1499.004 - Endpoint Denial of Service, specifically targeting network monitoring tools. The attack requires minimal privileges and can be executed remotely, making it particularly dangerous for systems that process network traffic automatically without manual intervention. Organizations using Wireshark for network security monitoring, forensic analysis, or industrial network debugging should prioritize immediate patching of this vulnerability to prevent potential exploitation that could disrupt critical network operations and compromise security monitoring capabilities.