CVE-2017-13024 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
The IPv6 mobility parser in tcpdump before 4.9.2 has a buffer over-read in print-mobility.c:mobility_opt_print().
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13024 represents a critical buffer over-read flaw within the IPv6 mobility parser functionality of tcpdump version 4.9.1 and earlier. This issue resides specifically within the print-mobility.c source file at the mobility_opt_print() function, where improper input validation and memory handling allows for unauthorized memory access patterns that can lead to system instability or potential exploitation. The affected tcpdump versions process network traffic containing IPv6 mobility options, which are used in mobile IPv6 implementations to manage routing and address changes for mobile nodes. When processing malformed or specially crafted IPv6 mobility option data, the parser fails to properly validate buffer boundaries, creating opportunities for memory corruption.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking within the mobility_opt_print() function which handles the printing and parsing of mobility options in IPv6 packets. The function processes mobility option headers without adequate validation of the option length fields, allowing attackers to craft packets with maliciously sized mobility options that cause the parser to read beyond allocated memory buffers. This over-read condition occurs when the parser attempts to access memory locations that are not properly allocated for the expected data size, potentially exposing sensitive information from adjacent memory regions or causing program crashes. The vulnerability specifically affects the handling of mobility option type and length fields, where the parser assumes valid input without proper verification of option boundaries.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents significant security implications for network monitoring and analysis systems that rely on tcpdump for traffic inspection. Network administrators and security professionals using affected versions of tcpdump may experience unexpected program termination or memory corruption when processing malicious IPv6 mobility traffic, potentially leading to denial of service conditions. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as the over-read condition could expose memory contents that might contain sensitive data, session information, or cryptographic keys depending on the system's memory layout. Attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to gain information about system memory layout or trigger exploitable conditions in memory management, though direct remote code execution is not typically possible without additional vulnerabilities.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes "Out-of-bounds Read" conditions in software implementations, and represents a classic example of improper input validation leading to memory safety issues. From an attack perspective, this flaw maps to techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under defensive evasion and execution phases, where adversaries might use malformed network traffic to disrupt network monitoring tools. The vulnerability also relates to the broader category of memory corruption vulnerabilities that have historically been exploited in network security tools, making it particularly concerning for security infrastructure components. Organizations should prioritize patching this vulnerability by upgrading to tcpdump version 4.9.2 or later, which includes proper bounds checking and input validation for mobility option parsing. Additional mitigations include implementing network segmentation, using intrusion detection systems to monitor for malformed IPv6 traffic, and ensuring that network monitoring tools are regularly updated to address known vulnerabilities in network analysis software.