CVE-2014-2281 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
The nfs_name_snoop_add_name function in epan/dissectors/packet-nfs.c in the NFS dissector in Wireshark 1.8.x before 1.8.13 and 1.10.x before 1.10.6 does not validate a certain length value, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via a crafted NFS packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-2281 resides within the Network File System (NFS) dissector component of Wireshark, specifically in the nfs_name_snoop_add_name function located in epan/dissectors/packet-nfs.c. This flaw affects Wireshark versions 1.8.x prior to 1.8.13 and 1.10.x prior to 1.10.6, representing a critical security issue that undermines the stability and reliability of network protocol analysis operations. The vulnerability manifests when processing NFS packets during network traffic capture and analysis, creating a scenario where malicious actors can exploit the protocol dissector to compromise the application's integrity.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the nfs_name_snoop_add_name function, which fails to properly validate a specific length parameter associated with NFS packet structures. This validation gap allows attackers to craft specially malformed NFS packets containing oversized or improperly structured length values that exceed expected boundaries. When Wireshark processes these malicious packets through its NFS dissector, the application attempts to allocate memory or perform operations based on the invalid length values without proper bounds checking, leading to memory corruption patterns that ultimately result in application crashes and system instability.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-2281 extends beyond simple denial of service, as it represents a significant threat to network security analysis capabilities and operational continuity. Network administrators and security professionals who rely on Wireshark for monitoring and troubleshooting network traffic face potential disruptions to their analysis workflows when encountering malicious NFS traffic. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely, meaning that any network traffic passing through a Wireshark instance with the affected NFS dissector enabled could trigger the memory corruption. This creates a risk where legitimate network monitoring activities might be interrupted or compromised, potentially masking actual network security threats while the application crashes or becomes unstable.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of length parameters, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for application execution via protocol analysis tools. The flaw represents a classic buffer overflow condition that can be exploited through protocol manipulation, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network traffic analysis is critical for security monitoring. Organizations using affected Wireshark versions face potential exposure to attackers who could leverage this vulnerability to disrupt network analysis operations, potentially interfering with incident response activities or security auditing processes that depend on stable protocol analysis capabilities.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate upgrade to Wireshark versions 1.8.13 or 1.10.6, which contain the necessary patches to address the length validation issue in the NFS dissector. Network security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring to detect and prevent the injection of malformed NFS packets into their traffic analysis environments. Additionally, administrators should regularly update their network analysis tools and maintain awareness of similar vulnerabilities in protocol dissector components, as these types of flaws can compromise the integrity of security monitoring infrastructure. The vulnerability underscores the importance of input validation in protocol analysis software and highlights the critical need for maintaining up-to-date security tools in enterprise network environments.