CVE-2016-4417 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
Off-by-one error in epan/dissectors/packet-gsm_abis_oml.c in the GSM A-bis OML dissector in Wireshark 1.12.x before 1.12.10 and 2.x before 2.0.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (buffer over-read and application crash) via a crafted packet that triggers a 0xff tag value.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/04/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4417 represents a critical off-by-one error within the GSM A-bis OML dissector component of Wireshark, a widely-used network protocol analyzer. This flaw exists in versions 1.12.x prior to 1.12.10 and 2.x versions prior to 2.0.2, making it a significant security concern for organizations relying on Wireshark for network traffic analysis. The issue stems from improper boundary checking in the packet parsing logic, specifically when handling the 0xff tag value that is part of the GSM A-bis Open System Management Layer protocol. The vulnerability manifests when Wireshark encounters a malformed packet containing this specific tag value, triggering a buffer over-read condition that leads to application instability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the dissector's failure to properly validate the length of data associated with the 0xff tag during packet processing. When a maliciously crafted packet is analyzed, the dissector attempts to read beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, causing memory corruption that results in an application crash. This type of buffer over-read vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which classifies buffer overflow conditions, and more specifically aligns with CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read errors. The flaw operates at the protocol decoding layer of Wireshark, meaning that any network traffic containing the malicious packet structure will trigger the vulnerability regardless of the network's actual security posture or the user's authorization level.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a remote denial of service threat that can be exploited by attackers positioned anywhere on the network path where the affected Wireshark instance processes traffic. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can compromise the integrity of network analysis operations that security teams rely upon for monitoring and incident response. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because Wireshark is commonly used in security operations centers, forensic analysis, and network troubleshooting scenarios where continuous monitoring is essential. Attackers can leverage this weakness to disrupt network analysis activities, potentially masking their actual malicious activities or causing legitimate network monitoring to fail during critical incidents.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2016-4417 requires immediate patching of affected Wireshark installations to versions 1.12.10 or 2.0.2 and later, which contain the necessary code modifications to prevent the buffer over-read condition. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect and prevent exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability can be triggered through passive packet capture scenarios. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network access controls to limit exposure of Wireshark instances to untrusted networks and ensure that only authorized personnel have access to systems running the vulnerable software. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and boundary checking in network protocol analysis tools, as these applications must be resilient to malformed data that could originate from various sources within a network environment. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1499, which covers network denial of service attacks, emphasizing the need for robust protocol parsing implementations that can withstand adversarial input without compromising system stability.