CVE-2017-11409 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
In Wireshark 2.0.0 to 2.0.13, the GPRS LLC dissector could go into a large loop. This was addressed in epan/dissectors/packet-gprs-llc.c by using a different integer data type.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/13/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-11409 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Wireshark's GPRS LLC dissector component. This issue affected versions 2.0.0 through 2.0.13 of the popular network protocol analyzer, where the dissector responsible for parsing GPRS Link Layer Control Protocol frames contained a logic error that could lead to infinite looping behavior. The flaw specifically manifested in the packet-gprs-llc.c file within the epan/dissectors directory, where the dissector failed to properly handle certain malformed or edge-case GPRS LLC frames that could cause the analysis process to enter an unbounded loop.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper integer handling within the dissector logic, where a specific integer data type was insufficient to properly manage the loop control parameters during frame parsing operations. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-128, which addresses unsigned integer wraparound conditions, and more specifically with CWE-682, which covers incorrect arithmetic operations. The flaw was particularly dangerous because it could be triggered by maliciously crafted network traffic containing malformed GPRS LLC frames, allowing an attacker to remotely cause a denial of service condition on any system running the vulnerable Wireshark version.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it could be exploited in network monitoring and analysis environments where Wireshark is deployed for continuous traffic inspection. Attackers could potentially send specially crafted GPRS LLC frames to a victim's network monitoring system, causing the Wireshark process to consume excessive CPU resources or become unresponsive entirely. This could effectively render network monitoring capabilities useless for network administrators who rely on Wireshark for troubleshooting and security analysis. The vulnerability particularly affected environments where GPRS traffic was being analyzed, including mobile network monitoring systems, network security appliances, and forensic analysis tools that might encounter such frames during packet capture operations.
The remediation implemented by the Wireshark development team involved changing the integer data type used within the packet-gprs-llc.c file to ensure proper loop control and prevent the infinite looping condition. This fix aligns with best practices for defensive programming and follows the ATT&CK framework's mitigation strategies for preventing resource exhaustion attacks. Organizations should immediately upgrade to Wireshark version 2.0.14 or later to address this vulnerability, as the patch resolves the underlying integer handling issue while maintaining full backward compatibility with legitimate GPRS LLC frame parsing. Network security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious traffic that could trigger this vulnerability during routine network monitoring activities.