CVE-2016-6505 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
epan/dissectors/packet-packetbb.c in the PacketBB dissector in Wireshark 1.12.x before 1.12.13 and 2.x before 2.0.5 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (divide-by-zero error and application crash) via a crafted packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/13/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6505 affects the PacketBB dissector within Wireshark, specifically targeting versions 1.12.x prior to 1.12.13 and 2.x versions prior to 2.0.5. This issue manifests as a divide-by-zero error that leads to application crash, representing a critical denial of service condition that can be exploited remotely by attackers. The PacketBB dissector is responsible for analyzing and interpreting PacketBB protocol traffic, which is commonly used in wireless communication systems and packet radio networks. The flaw occurs during packet analysis when the dissector encounters malformed or specially crafted packets that trigger unexpected arithmetic operations. The vulnerability falls under CWE-369, which specifically addresses divide-by-zero errors in software implementations, making it a well-documented class of weaknesses that can lead to system instability and service disruption. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to network monitoring and forensic analysis activities where Wireshark is deployed as a critical tool for network traffic inspection.
The technical execution of this vulnerability involves the PacketBB dissector processing a malformed packet structure that contains invalid field values, particularly in numerical fields that are subsequently used in division operations. When the dissector attempts to calculate ratios or perform mathematical operations using these malformed values, it encounters a zero denominator, causing the application to crash and terminate unexpectedly. This type of error represents a classic software implementation flaw where proper input validation and error handling mechanisms are insufficient to prevent arithmetic exceptions from propagating to the application level. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication or specialized privileges, allowing any remote attacker who can send packets to the target system to trigger the vulnerability. The crash occurs in the dissector's parsing logic, which is part of Wireshark's core packet analysis engine, meaning that even legitimate network traffic could potentially trigger this condition if it contains malformed PacketBB protocol data.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-6505 extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can severely compromise network monitoring capabilities and forensic analysis operations. Organizations relying on Wireshark for network troubleshooting, security analysis, and protocol debugging face significant risk when this vulnerability exists in their monitoring infrastructure. The application crash can result in complete loss of network traffic analysis capabilities until the application is manually restarted, potentially causing critical network visibility gaps during security incidents or network troubleshooting activities. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001, which covers network denial of service attacks, and represents a form of application-level denial of service that can be executed remotely without requiring elevated privileges. The vulnerability's exploitation potential is amplified in environments where Wireshark is deployed on network monitoring appliances or servers that continuously process large volumes of traffic, as a single malicious packet can cause sustained disruption to monitoring operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-6505 focus primarily on immediate patching of affected Wireshark installations to versions 1.12.13 or 2.0.5 and later, which contain the necessary code fixes to prevent the divide-by-zero condition. Network administrators should prioritize updating all Wireshark installations within their environments, particularly those used for network monitoring or security analysis purposes. Additional defensive measures include implementing network segmentation to limit exposure of monitoring systems to untrusted traffic sources, deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify and block suspicious packet patterns, and establishing robust monitoring procedures to detect application crashes or service disruptions. The vulnerability's classification as a denial of service issue also suggests implementing redundancy measures for critical network monitoring infrastructure, ensuring that alternative analysis tools or systems remain available if primary Wireshark instances become unavailable. Organizations should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify and remediate similar issues in other network analysis and security tools that may be susceptible to similar arithmetic exception vulnerabilities.