CVE-2016-7983 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
The BOOTP parser in tcpdump before 4.9.0 has a buffer overflow in print-bootp.c:bootp_print().
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/16/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7983 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the BOOTP protocol parser of tcpdump software versions prior to 4.9.0. This issue resides specifically in the print-bootp.c source file at the bootp_print() function, where insufficient input validation and bounds checking allow maliciously crafted BOOTP packets to trigger memory corruption. The BOOTP protocol, which stands for Bootstrap Protocol, is used for network booting and IP address assignment in network infrastructure, making it a fundamental component of network operations. When tcpdump processes network traffic containing malformed BOOTP packets, the buffer overflow can lead to arbitrary code execution or complete application crash, thereby compromising network monitoring capabilities and potentially providing attackers with unauthorized access to network infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate memory management within the bootp_print() function, which fails to properly validate the length of incoming BOOTP packet data before copying it into fixed-size buffers. This flaw directly maps to CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because tcpdump operates at the network packet capture level, often running with elevated privileges to access raw network traffic. When an attacker crafts a malicious BOOTP packet with oversized options fields or malformed data structures, the parser fails to enforce proper buffer boundaries, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited through various attack vectors including stack smashing or heap corruption techniques. The impact extends beyond simple application crashes as this vulnerability can be leveraged for privilege escalation attacks, particularly when tcpdump is executed with root privileges in network monitoring environments.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-7983 is significant for network administrators and security professionals who rely on tcpdump for network traffic analysis and intrusion detection. Organizations using affected versions of tcpdump in production environments face potential exposure to remote code execution attacks that could allow adversaries to compromise network monitoring systems, gain unauthorized access to network infrastructure, or disrupt critical network services. The vulnerability affects any system running tcpdump versions before 4.9.0, including enterprise network monitoring tools, security appliances, and forensic analysis platforms that depend on tcpdump for packet capture and analysis. Network security teams may experience false positives in intrusion detection systems due to application crashes, while legitimate network traffic analysis capabilities could be severely impaired. The vulnerability also poses risks to compliance and audit requirements, as compromised monitoring systems could fail to provide accurate network traffic visibility, potentially masking other security incidents. Additionally, the attack surface expands when considering that many network security tools depend on tcpdump as a core component for packet analysis, making the impact of this vulnerability widespread across network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-7983 primarily focus on immediate software updates to tcpdump version 4.9.0 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the buffer overflow conditions. Network administrators should prioritize patching affected systems and conducting thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any systems running vulnerable versions of tcpdump. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potential attackers who might attempt to exploit this vulnerability through crafted network traffic. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual packet patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, including malformed BOOTP packets. The implementation of network intrusion prevention systems with signature-based detection capabilities can help identify and block malicious traffic patterns associated with this vulnerability. System hardening measures should include running tcpdump with minimal required privileges, disabling unnecessary network monitoring services, and implementing proper input validation for all network traffic processing components. Regular security audits and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to ensure that all network monitoring tools remain up to date with the latest security patches, while incident response procedures should be updated to address potential exploitation of this buffer overflow vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing network traffic analysis tools that provide additional layers of security monitoring beyond traditional packet capture utilities to reduce dependency on vulnerable components.