CVE-2015-0561 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
asn1/lpp/lpp.cnf in the LPP dissector in Wireshark 1.10.x before 1.10.12 and 1.12.x before 1.12.3 does not validate a certain index value, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds memory access and application crash) via a crafted packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0561 resides within the LPP dissector component of Wireshark, specifically in the asn1/lpp/lpp.cnf configuration file that governs the interpretation of Location Protocol packets. This flaw represents a classic buffer over-read condition that occurs when the dissector fails to properly validate index values during packet parsing operations. The issue affects Wireshark versions 1.10.x prior to 1.10.12 and 1.12.x prior to 1.12.3, making it a significant concern for network security professionals who rely on Wireshark for protocol analysis and network troubleshooting. The vulnerability manifests when processing specially crafted Location Protocol packets that contain malformed index values, leading to unpredictable behavior in the packet analysis engine.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a memory access violation that results from improper bounds checking within the LPP dissector's ASN.1 parsing logic. When Wireshark encounters a malicious packet containing an out-of-bounds index value, the dissector attempts to access memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, causing the application to crash or exhibit undefined behavior. This type of flaw falls under the CWE-129 vulnerability category, which specifically addresses insufficient input validation leading to buffer overflows and out-of-bounds memory access. The vulnerability represents a direct violation of secure coding practices and demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in network protocol parsers. The flaw operates at the application layer of the OSI model, affecting the presentation layer where data is interpreted and displayed for network analysis purposes.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to network security operations and forensic analysis activities. Network administrators and security analysts who use Wireshark for monitoring network traffic, investigating security incidents, or performing network troubleshooting could inadvertently trigger the denial of service condition by simply opening a malicious packet capture file or processing a crafted network packet. The remote attack vector means that adversaries could potentially compromise Wireshark installations without requiring local access to the target system, making this a particularly dangerous vulnerability for security professionals who frequently analyze network traffic from untrusted sources. The crash behavior can result in complete loss of analysis capabilities and may provide an attacker with a means to disrupt network monitoring operations, potentially masking malicious activities or preventing legitimate security investigations.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2015-0561 involves immediate patching of affected Wireshark installations to versions 1.10.12 or 1.12.3, which contain the necessary fixes to properly validate index values in the LPP dissector. Network security teams should also implement network segmentation and packet filtering rules to prevent the transmission of potentially malicious packets that could trigger this vulnerability. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on suspicious packet patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for application execution and T1499.004 for network disruption, as it enables adversaries to cause denial of service conditions that can impact network monitoring and analysis capabilities. Security professionals should also establish robust packet analysis practices that include validating packet captures from untrusted sources and maintaining regular updates of network analysis tools to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities.