CVE-2013-4927 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
Integer signedness error in the get_type_length function in epan/dissectors/packet-btsdp.c in the Bluetooth SDP dissector in Wireshark 1.8.x before 1.8.9 and 1.10.x before 1.10.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (loop and CPU consumption) via a crafted packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/20/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2013-4927 represents a critical integer signedness error within the Bluetooth Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) dissector component of Wireshark. This flaw exists in the get_type_length function located in epan/dissectors/packet-btsdp.c, affecting Wireshark versions 1.8.x prior to 1.8.9 and 1.10.x prior to 1.10.1. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of integer values during packet parsing operations, specifically when processing Bluetooth SDP packets that contain malformed type length indicators.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a scenario where the dissector fails to properly validate the signedness of integer values when determining the length of data types within Bluetooth SDP records. When a remote attacker crafts a malicious Bluetooth SDP packet with specifically manipulated type length fields, the get_type_length function interprets these values incorrectly due to the signedness error. This misinterpretation causes the dissector to enter an infinite loop or consume excessive CPU cycles as it attempts to process the malformed data structure. The flaw operates at the protocol decoding level within Wireshark's packet analysis engine, where the software attempts to parse and display Bluetooth SDP information for network traffic analysis.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables remote attackers to perform denial of service attacks against systems running vulnerable versions of Wireshark. An attacker can craft a single malicious Bluetooth SDP packet that, when processed by the affected dissector, causes the application to enter a continuous loop or consume 100% CPU resources, effectively rendering the network analysis tool unusable. This type of attack can be particularly damaging in environments where Wireshark is used for continuous network monitoring or in security analysis workflows where system availability is critical. The vulnerability can be exploited without requiring any special privileges or authentication, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where untrusted traffic may be analyzed.
This vulnerability maps to CWE-191, which specifically addresses integer underflow (wrap under) and integer overflow (wrap over) conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks. The flaw demonstrates a classic example of how improper input validation in protocol dissectors can lead to resource exhaustion attacks. Organizations using Wireshark for network traffic analysis should immediately upgrade to versions 1.8.9 or 1.10.1 or later to mitigate this risk. The fix typically involves implementing proper bounds checking and ensuring that integer values are correctly interpreted as unsigned when processing packet length fields, preventing the loop conditions that lead to excessive resource consumption.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the importance of robust input validation in network protocol analysis tools. Dissector components in tools like Wireshark must properly handle malformed data to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in other protocol parsers. This incident underscores the need for comprehensive testing of protocol handling code, particularly in security tools where the processing of untrusted network data is routine. Network security professionals should consider implementing additional monitoring for abnormal CPU usage patterns when analyzing Bluetooth traffic, as this could serve as an indicator of exploitation attempts against similar vulnerabilities in network analysis tools.