CVE-2013-4083 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
The dissect_pft function in epan/dissectors/packet-dcp-etsi.c in the DCP ETSI dissector in Wireshark 1.6.x before 1.6.16, 1.8.x before 1.8.8, and 1.10.0 does not validate a certain fragment length value, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-4083 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Wireshark's DCP ETSI dissector component. This issue affects multiple versions of the popular network protocol analyzer, specifically targeting the dissect_pft function located in epan/dissectors/packet-dcp-etsi.c. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms that fail to properly verify fragment length values during packet processing. When a maliciously crafted packet is processed by Wireshark, the dissector's inability to validate the fragment length parameter leads to unpredictable behavior that ultimately results in application instability and crash.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of fragment length values within DCP ETSI protocol packets. The dissect_pft function processes these packets without adequate validation of the fragment length field, creating a condition where malformed input can cause memory corruption or buffer overflow scenarios. This type of flaw falls under the CWE-129 category of Improper Validation of Array Index, as the function fails to validate the boundaries of fragment length values before processing them. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the protocol dissection layer, meaning that any user who processes network traffic containing maliciously crafted DCP ETSI packets will be susceptible to the denial of service attack.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to network security analysts and forensic investigators who rely on Wireshark for network traffic analysis. The remote attack vector means that an attacker can trigger the vulnerability from outside the network by simply sending a specially crafted packet to a system running the vulnerable Wireshark version. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as it can compromise the integrity of network analysis operations, potentially causing analysts to miss critical security events or making their analysis tools unavailable during important investigations. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001 for Network Denial of Service, as it specifically targets the availability of network analysis tools through remote exploitation.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2013-4083 involves immediate patching of affected Wireshark installations to versions 1.6.16, 1.8.8, or 1.10.1, which contain the necessary fixes to properly validate fragment length values. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect and prevent malicious packet injection attempts. Additional defensive measures include configuring Wireshark to disable protocol dissectors for untrusted traffic or implementing network access controls that limit exposure to potentially malicious network traffic. Security teams should also consider deploying network intrusion detection systems that can identify patterns associated with this specific vulnerability to provide early warning of potential exploitation attempts.