CVE-2013-2483 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
The acn_add_dmp_data function in epan/dissectors/packet-acn.c in the ACN dissector in Wireshark 1.6.x before 1.6.14 and 1.8.x before 1.8.6 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (divide-by-zero error and application crash) via an invalid count value in ACN_DMP_ADT_D_RE DMP data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-2483 resides within the ACN dissector component of Wireshark, specifically in the acn_add_dmp_data function located in epan/dissectors/packet-acn.c. This flaw represents a classic divide-by-zero error that occurs when processing malformed ACN_DMP_ADT_D_RED DMP data structures. The vulnerability affects Wireshark versions 1.6.x prior to 1.6.14 and 1.8.x prior to 1.8.6, making it a significant concern for network security analysts who rely on Wireshark for protocol analysis and packet inspection. The ACN dissector is responsible for analyzing Abstract Control Notation data, which is commonly used in telecommunications and network protocol analysis.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious ACN_DMP_ADT_D_RED DMP data packet containing an invalid count value that, when processed by the acn_add_dmp_data function, triggers a division operation with zero as the divisor. This fundamental mathematical error causes the application to crash immediately, resulting in a denial of service condition that prevents legitimate network analysis operations from continuing. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation and error handling within the dissector code, where the software fails to properly validate the count field before using it in arithmetic operations. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-369, which specifically addresses the division by zero error condition that can lead to application instability and system crashes.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk to network security professionals and forensic analysts who depend on Wireshark for critical network monitoring and incident response activities. When an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can cause complete application termination, forcing analysts to restart Wireshark and potentially lose valuable network traffic data. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as it can compromise ongoing network investigations, particularly in environments where real-time packet analysis is crucial for threat detection and response. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1490, which involves denying access to resources through service interruption, and represents a critical weakness in network analysis tooling that can be exploited to disrupt security operations.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2013-2483 involves upgrading to patched versions of Wireshark, specifically version 1.6.14 or 1.8.6 and later. Network security teams should prioritize this update as a critical security measure, particularly in environments where Wireshark is used for continuous network monitoring. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit who can inject malicious packets into monitored networks provides an additional layer of defense. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust input validation and error handling in network analysis tools, as even a single flawed dissector can compromise the entire application. Organizations should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems that can detect and block malformed ACN traffic before it reaches Wireshark processing components, reducing the attack surface for such protocol-based vulnerabilities.