CVE-2015-0559 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple use-after-free vulnerabilities in epan/dissectors/packet-wccp.c in the WCCP dissector in Wireshark 1.10.x before 1.10.12 and 1.12.x before 1.12.3 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted packet, related to the use of packet-scope memory instead of pinfo-scope memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0559 represents a critical use-after-free condition affecting Wireshark's WCCP dissector component. This flaw exists within the packet-wccp.c file and impacts versions 1.10.x prior to 1.10.12 and 1.12.x prior to 1.12.3, creating a significant security risk for network analysis tools that rely on proper memory management. The vulnerability stems from improper memory handling practices where packet-scope memory is utilized instead of the appropriate pinfo-scope memory context during packet processing operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when Wireshark processes WCCP (Web Cache Coordination Protocol) packets through its dissector framework. During normal operation, the dissector should allocate and manage memory within the pinfo-scope to ensure proper lifecycle management of packet data structures. However, the flawed implementation uses packet-scope memory allocation, which can lead to memory being freed prematurely while still referenced by subsequent processing operations. This creates a scenario where memory addresses become invalid and any attempt to access them results in application crashes or undefined behavior.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute successful denial of service attacks against Wireshark installations by simply crafting malicious WCCP packets and transmitting them to a target system. The attack requires no authentication or special privileges, making it particularly dangerous for network monitoring environments where Wireshark is deployed to analyze network traffic continuously. When exploited, the vulnerability causes the application to crash immediately, disrupting network analysis operations and potentially leading to complete service interruption for network administrators who depend on Wireshark for troubleshooting and monitoring activities.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in software implementations, and demonstrates how improper memory management can lead to application instability and denial of service scenarios. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the T1499.004 technique related to network denial of service attacks, where adversaries exploit software flaws to disrupt network services. The impact extends beyond simple application crashes as it affects the reliability of network monitoring infrastructure, potentially masking other security incidents or preventing proper network analysis during critical incidents.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of affected Wireshark versions to the corrected releases 1.10.12 and 1.12.3, which contain proper memory management implementations. Network administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit exposure to potentially malicious WCCP traffic, though this approach provides only partial protection. Additionally, monitoring for unusual network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts can serve as an early warning mechanism. Organizations should also maintain updated network analysis tools and regularly review security advisories from vendors to ensure comprehensive protection against similar memory management vulnerabilities that could affect other network analysis tools in their infrastructure.