CVE-2017-13766 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
In Wireshark 2.4.0 and 2.2.0 to 2.2.8, the Profinet I/O dissector could crash with an out-of-bounds write. This was addressed in plugins/profinet/packet-dcerpc-pn-io.c by adding string validation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/27/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2017-13766 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw in Wireshark's Profinet I/O dissector component that could lead to remote code execution or system compromise. This issue affected multiple versions of Wireshark including 2.4.0 and the 2.2.0 through 2.2.8 range, making it a widespread concern for network security professionals who rely on Wireshark for protocol analysis and network monitoring. The flaw specifically manifested in the plugins/profinet/packet-dcerpc-pn-io.c file where improper input validation allowed maliciously crafted network packets to trigger memory corruption during packet processing.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from an out-of-bounds write condition that occurs when the Profinet I/O dissector processes malformed network traffic. When Wireshark encounters specially crafted Profinet packets, the dissector fails to properly validate string lengths and buffer boundaries before writing data to memory locations. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write, which is classified as a severe memory safety issue that can result in arbitrary code execution when exploited by attackers. The flaw represents a classic buffer overflow scenario where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially leading to crash conditions or more sophisticated exploitation techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system crashes, as it creates potential attack vectors for malicious actors who could leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to systems running vulnerable versions of Wireshark. Network administrators and security analysts who use Wireshark for traffic analysis, forensic investigations, or network troubleshooting could be compromised if they process malicious network captures containing the crafted Profinet I/O packets. This vulnerability particularly affects industrial network monitoring scenarios where Profinet protocols are commonly used, making it a significant concern for operational technology environments that rely on Wireshark for network visibility.
The remediation implemented by the Wireshark development team involved adding proper string validation mechanisms within the plugins/profinet/packet-dcerpc-pn-io.c file to prevent the out-of-bounds write condition. This fix aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007: Command and Scripting Interpreter: Python, which emphasizes the importance of input validation and proper bounds checking in preventing memory corruption vulnerabilities. The solution demonstrates the critical importance of proper software security practices in network analysis tools, as these applications often process untrusted network data from potentially hostile sources. Organizations should ensure immediate patching of affected versions and consider implementing network segmentation or traffic filtering to reduce exposure while applying the security updates.
This vulnerability also highlights the broader security implications for network protocol analysis tools, as they often operate in privileged modes and process potentially malicious network traffic without user intervention. The fix serves as a reminder of the importance of thorough input validation and memory safety practices in network security tools, particularly those that handle complex protocol dissectors. The remediation approach taken by Wireshark developers represents a standard defensive programming technique that can be applied across similar network analysis and protocol parsing applications to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other software components.