CVE-2013-4077 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
Array index error in the NBAP dissector in Wireshark 1.8.x before 1.8.8 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted packet, related to nbap.cnf and packet-nbap.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-4077 represents a critical array index error within the NBAP dissector component of Wireshark versions 1.8.x prior to 1.8.8. This flaw specifically affects the Network Basic Access Profile dissector which is responsible for parsing and analyzing telecommunications protocol data within the Wireshark network analysis tool. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and boundary checking mechanisms within the packet-nbap.c source file, particularly when processing nbap.cnf configuration elements that define the protocol structure and parsing rules for NBAP messages.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when Wireshark processes a specially crafted network packet that contains malformed NBAP data structures. The dissector fails to properly validate array indices before accessing memory locations, creating a classic buffer over-read condition that can be exploited by remote attackers. When the NBAP dissector encounters a malformed packet containing unexpected array dimensions or out-of-bounds references, it attempts to access memory locations beyond the allocated array boundaries, resulting in undefined behavior and ultimately causing the application to crash. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-129, which specifically addresses insufficient validation of array indices, and represents a direct violation of secure coding practices that require bounds checking for all array accesses.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to network security analysts and forensic investigators who rely on Wireshark for network traffic analysis. The remote code execution potential allows attackers to disrupt network monitoring operations by causing Wireshark to crash whenever a malicious packet is captured and analyzed. This denial of service attack can be particularly devastating in environments where network troubleshooting and security incident response depend on continuous packet analysis, as it effectively prevents analysts from examining network traffic during critical security events. The attack vector requires no privileged access and can be executed by simply capturing and analyzing a specially crafted packet, making it highly accessible to potential attackers and increasing the overall threat surface for organizations using affected Wireshark versions.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2013-4077 involves immediate upgrading to Wireshark version 1.8.8 or later, which includes proper bounds checking and input validation within the NBAP dissector implementation. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, while security teams should consider deploying network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify and block suspicious packet patterns. Organizations should conduct regular vulnerability assessments to ensure all network analysis tools remain updated with the latest security patches, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current software versions to protect against known exploits. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1499.004, which covers Network Denial of Service, and T1595.001, related to network infiltration techniques that leverage application vulnerabilities to achieve system compromise and disruption.