CVE-2017-11410 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
In Wireshark through 2.0.13 and 2.2.x through 2.2.7, the WBXML dissector could go into an infinite loop, triggered by packet injection or a malformed capture file. This was addressed in epan/dissectors/packet-wbxml.c by adding validation of the relationships between indexes and lengths. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2017-7702.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/13/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-11410 represents a critical denial of service flaw in Wireshark versions prior to 2.0.14 and 2.2.8, where the WBXML dissector component becomes susceptible to infinite loop conditions. This issue arises from insufficient input validation within the packet processing logic, specifically when handling malformed or injected packets containing WBXML data. The flaw demonstrates a classic example of a resource exhaustion vulnerability that can be exploited by attackers to disrupt network analysis operations.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate boundary checking and validation of index-length relationships within the WBXML dissector implementation. When processing malformed capture files or injected packets, the dissector fails to properly validate the correlation between data indexes and their corresponding length values, leading to iterative processing that never terminates. This condition creates an infinite loop that consumes system resources and prevents normal packet analysis operations from completing successfully. The vulnerability manifests as a predictable pattern where the dissector enters a state where it continuously processes the same data segment without advancing through the packet structure.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to network security analysts and forensic investigators who rely on Wireshark for traffic analysis. Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting malicious packets or capture files that trigger the infinite loop condition, effectively causing the Wireshark application to become unresponsive or consume excessive CPU resources. The impact extends beyond simple application disruption as it can compromise the integrity of network analysis workflows, potentially delaying critical security investigations or preventing real-time monitoring operations. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where automated network analysis tools depend on Wireshark's packet processing capabilities.
The security implications of CVE-2017-11410 align with CWE-835, which addresses the weakness of infinite loops in software implementations, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1496 for resource exhaustion attacks. The vulnerability was specifically addressed in the epan/dissectors/packet-wbxml.c file through enhanced validation mechanisms that ensure proper relationship checking between indexes and lengths before proceeding with packet processing. This fix represents a direct response to the incomplete remediation of CVE-2017-7702, demonstrating how security patches must be carefully validated to prevent regression vulnerabilities. Organizations should prioritize updating to Wireshark versions 2.0.14 or 2.2.8 and later to mitigate this risk. The remediation approach emphasizes the importance of robust input validation and proper boundary checking in network protocol dissectors, which are fundamental requirements for maintaining software reliability and security in network analysis tools.