CVE-2016-4080 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
epan/dissectors/packet-pktc.c in the PKTC dissector in Wireshark 1.12.x before 1.12.11 and 2.0.x before 2.0.3 misparses timestamp fields, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds read and application crash) via a crafted packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/26/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4080 resides within the PKTC dissector component of Wireshark, specifically in the file epan/dissectors/packet-pktc.c. This flaw affects versions 1.12.x prior to 1.12.11 and 2.0.x prior to 2.0.3, representing a critical security issue that impacts the network protocol analysis tool widely used by security professionals and network engineers. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of timestamp fields during packet parsing operations, creating a scenario where malformed packet data can trigger unexpected behavior in the application's memory management systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a classic out-of-bounds read condition that occurs when the PKTC dissector attempts to parse timestamp fields from captured network packets. When encountering crafted packets with malformed timestamp data, the dissector fails to properly validate input boundaries before accessing memory locations. This improper validation leads to memory access violations where the application attempts to read data beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, resulting in application instability and eventual crash. The flaw operates at the protocol dissection layer of Wireshark, where raw packet data is interpreted and converted into meaningful network analysis information for users.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to network security analysts and forensic investigators who rely on Wireshark for packet capture analysis. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially formatted packets designed to trigger the out-of-bounds read condition when processed by Wireshark. The resulting denial of service condition effectively renders the network analysis tool unusable, potentially disrupting critical network monitoring and incident response activities. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability of network analysis capabilities and can be particularly problematic in environments where real-time packet inspection is essential for security operations.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions in software implementations, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for application layer execution. The flaw represents a memory safety issue that can be exploited through network packet processing, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network traffic analysis tools process untrusted data from multiple sources. Organizations using affected Wireshark versions should prioritize immediate patching to prevent potential exploitation, as the vulnerability does not require authentication or specialized access privileges to trigger. Network security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring for abnormal application behavior and ensure that packet capture systems are properly isolated to minimize impact from potential exploitation attempts.