CVE-2016-5353 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
epan/dissectors/packet-umts_fp.c in the UMTS FP dissector in Wireshark 1.12.x before 1.12.12 and 2.x before 2.0.4 mishandles the reserved C/T value, 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-2016-5353 resides within the UMTS FP dissector component of Wireshark, specifically in the file epan/dissectors/packet-umts_fp.c. This issue affects Wireshark versions 1.12.x prior to 1.12.12 and 2.x versions prior to 2.0.4, representing a critical denial of service flaw that can be exploited remotely. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of reserved C/T values within the UMTS Forwardlink Protocol dissector, which is responsible for analyzing and displaying UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) forwardlink protocol data in network traffic captures. The UMTS FP dissector is part of Wireshark's extensive collection of protocol dissectors that enable network analysts to examine mobile telecommunications traffic patterns and data flows.
The technical flaw manifests when the dissector encounters a crafted packet containing an invalid or unexpected reserved C/T value in the UMTS Forwardlink Protocol header. This particular value is defined as reserved within the UMTS specification, meaning it should not appear in legitimate network traffic. However, the Wireshark dissector fails to properly validate this reserved field, leading to a scenario where the application crashes when attempting to process such malformed data. The improper handling occurs during the packet parsing phase where the dissector attempts to interpret the reserved C/T value without adequate bounds checking or validation mechanisms. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of improper input validation as defined by CWE-20, where the software does not properly validate input data before processing it. The flaw represents a classic buffer over-read or invalid memory access condition that can occur when the dissector attempts to access memory locations beyond the bounds of allocated buffers or when it processes invalid field values.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application instability, as it creates a remote attack vector that allows adversaries to deliberately crash Wireshark applications without requiring any special privileges or authentication. An attacker can construct a specially crafted network packet containing the malformed reserved C/T value and transmit it to a victim who is running Wireshark and viewing network traffic. When Wireshark processes this malicious packet during the dissection phase, the application will crash and terminate unexpectedly, effectively causing a denial of service for the network analysis operations. This vulnerability is particularly concerning for network security professionals who rely on Wireshark for network monitoring, incident response, and troubleshooting activities, as it could be exploited to disrupt critical network analysis operations or to evade detection by causing legitimate monitoring tools to fail. The attack can be executed from any network location where the attacker can inject packets into the network path, making it a particularly dangerous vulnerability in environments where network traffic analysis is critical for security operations.
The remediation for this vulnerability involves updating to the patched versions of Wireshark, specifically version 1.12.12 or later for the 1.12.x series and version 2.0.4 or later for the 2.0.x series. The fix implemented by the Wireshark development team addresses the root cause by adding proper validation checks for the reserved C/T value within the UMTS FP dissector. This fix typically involves implementing bounds checking and input validation mechanisms that ensure the dissector gracefully handles unexpected values rather than crashing when encountering invalid reserved fields. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation in network protocol analysis tools, as these applications must be able to handle malformed or malicious network traffic without compromising system stability. Organizations should prioritize patching this vulnerability as part of their regular security maintenance procedures, particularly given that Wireshark is widely used in security operations centers, network troubleshooting environments, and forensic analysis scenarios where application reliability is critical. The vulnerability also highlights the broader ATT&CK framework concept of privilege escalation through application exploitation, where an attacker can leverage application flaws to achieve denial of service and potentially disrupt network monitoring capabilities.