CVE-2016-5352 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
epan/crypt/airpdcap.c in the IEEE 802.11 dissector in Wireshark 2.x before 2.0.4 mishandles certain length values, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/13/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5352 resides within the IEEE 802.11 dissector component of Wireshark version 2.x prior to 2.0.4, specifically in the epan/crypt/airpdcap.c file. This flaw represents a classic buffer over-read condition that occurs when processing malformed IEEE 802.11 packets, particularly those involving wireless network traffic analysis. The issue stems from inadequate validation of length fields within the packet structure, creating a scenario where maliciously crafted packets can trigger unexpected behavior in the network protocol analyzer.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through improper handling of length values in the airpdcap.c implementation, which is responsible for decrypting and processing wireless network traffic captured by Wireshark. When the dissector encounters a packet with malformed or unexpected length parameters, it fails to properly validate these values before attempting to process them, leading to memory access violations that ultimately result in application crashes. This type of flaw falls under the CWE-129 weakness category, which encompasses issues related to improper validation of length values, and specifically relates to CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read conditions. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with the ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which involves network denial of service attacks targeting application stability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application instability, as it represents a significant security concern for network analysts and security professionals who rely on Wireshark for network traffic analysis. An attacker capable of sending crafted wireless packets to a system running an affected version of Wireshark could remotely cause the application to crash, effectively preventing legitimate network monitoring activities and potentially disrupting security operations. This denial of service condition affects not only individual users but also broader network security infrastructures that depend on continuous monitoring capabilities. The vulnerability particularly impacts environments where Wireshark is used for real-time network analysis, packet capture, and wireless traffic inspection, as the crash can occur during normal packet processing operations without requiring any special privileges or authentication.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-5352 primarily involve upgrading to Wireshark version 2.0.4 or later, which includes proper validation of length fields and implements robust error handling for malformed packets. Network security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring and alerting mechanisms to detect potential exploitation attempts, as well as maintaining updated network traffic analysis tools that have been verified against known vulnerabilities. The fix implemented in version 2.0.4 addresses the root cause by ensuring that all length values are properly validated before memory operations are performed, preventing the buffer over-read conditions that previously led to application crashes. Organizations should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments of their network monitoring tools and maintain updated patch management processes to prevent similar issues from affecting their security infrastructure.