CVE-2016-6506 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
epan/dissectors/packet-wsp.c in the WSP 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 (infinite loop) via a crafted packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/13/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6506 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Wireshark's Wireless Session Protocol (WSP) dissector component. This issue affects Wireshark versions 1.12.x prior to 1.12.13 and 2.x versions prior to 2.0.5, creating a scenario where remote attackers can trigger an infinite loop condition through the careful crafting of network packets. The WSP dissector is responsible for parsing and analyzing Wireless Session Protocol traffic, which is commonly used in mobile communications and wireless data transmission scenarios. When a maliciously constructed packet reaches the dissector, it causes the application to enter an infinite loop, consuming excessive CPU resources and ultimately leading to a complete denial of service for the network analysis functionality.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and boundary checking within the packet parsing logic of the WSP dissector. The flaw manifests when the dissector processes malformed WSP packets that contain unexpected or malformed data structures, particularly in the protocol headers or payload sections. The dissector fails to properly handle these edge cases, causing it to repeatedly process the same data segment without proper termination conditions. This infinite loop behavior is classified as a CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition (Loop Continues Until Interrupted), which directly impacts the application's ability to process subsequent network traffic. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, specifically within the protocol dissection framework, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect any network traffic that passes through Wireshark's analysis engine.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to network security analysts and administrators who rely on Wireshark for network monitoring and forensic analysis. The infinite loop condition can be triggered remotely by any attacker who can send specially crafted WSP packets to a system running the vulnerable Wireshark version. This creates a scenario where legitimate network analysis operations become impossible, as the application becomes unresponsive and consumes all available CPU resources. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can prevent security teams from performing critical network monitoring tasks, conducting incident response activities, or analyzing network traffic for potential security threats. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where Wireshark is used for continuous network monitoring, as it can effectively shut down the entire network analysis capability without requiring any privileged access or complex exploitation techniques.
Organizations and security professionals should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability by upgrading to Wireshark versions 1.12.13 or 2.0.5 and later, which contain the necessary patches to prevent the infinite loop condition. The mitigation strategy should also include implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious traffic, as well as monitoring for unusual CPU utilization patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. From a defensive perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004: Endpoint Denial of Service, which focuses on causing resource exhaustion through application-level attacks. Additionally, the vulnerability demonstrates characteristics of T1566.002: Phishing, as attackers might use this flaw to deliver malicious packets through social engineering campaigns, though the primary exploitation vector is direct network traffic injection. Network administrators should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify and block malformed WSP traffic patterns, as well as establishing regular patch management procedures to ensure all network analysis tools remain current with security updates. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of input validation and proper error handling in network protocol analysis tools, where a single flaw can compromise the entire network monitoring infrastructure.