CVE-2017-9766 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
In Wireshark 2.2.7, PROFINET IO data with a high recursion depth allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (stack exhaustion) in the dissect_IODWriteReq function in plugins/profinet/packet-dcerpc-pn-io.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/08/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-9766 represents a critical stack exhaustion issue affecting Wireshark version 2.2.7 within its PROFINET IO protocol dissector. This flaw resides in the dissect_IODWriteReq function located in the plugins/profinet/packet-dcerpc-pn-io.c source file, where the software fails to properly validate input data structures during protocol analysis. The vulnerability specifically manifests when processing PROFINET IO data packets that contain excessively deep recursion structures, creating a condition where the application's call stack becomes overwhelmed with nested function calls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate recursion depth validation within the PROFINET IO protocol parser. When Wireshark encounters PROFINET IO data with high recursion depth, the dissect_IODWriteReq function recursively processes nested data structures without enforcing reasonable limits on the recursion level. This recursive processing pattern consumes stack memory rapidly, leading to stack exhaustion and subsequent application crash. The flaw aligns with CWE-674, which describes the weakness of uncontrolled recursion in software implementations, and represents a classic stack overflow scenario where the program's execution stack grows beyond its allocated boundaries.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant remote denial of service threat to network monitoring and analysis systems that rely on Wireshark for PROFINET IO protocol traffic inspection. Attackers can craft malicious PROFINET IO packets with excessive recursion depth to trigger the vulnerability, causing Wireshark to crash and terminate its execution. This disruption affects network administrators and security analysts who depend on continuous network traffic analysis, potentially creating blind spots in network monitoring during critical incidents. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption as it can compromise the integrity of network forensic investigations and real-time threat detection capabilities.
The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with attack techniques categorized under the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically relating to service stoppage and denial of service operations. Network security professionals utilizing Wireshark for industrial network monitoring face particular risk as PROFINET IO protocols are commonly used in industrial control systems where continuous network visibility is essential. The flaw affects systems running Wireshark 2.2.7 and potentially other versions within the 2.2.x release series, making it a widespread concern for organizations maintaining legacy network analysis infrastructure. Organizations should prioritize patch management to address this vulnerability, as the remediation involves implementing proper recursion depth validation and stack usage limits in the PROFINET IO protocol dissector to prevent unbounded recursive processing of malformed network data.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate deployment of Wireshark updates to versions 2.2.8 or later where this vulnerability has been resolved through proper input validation and recursion depth limiting mechanisms. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious PROFINET IO traffic. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect abnormal stack usage patterns and application crashes that may indicate exploitation attempts. The fix typically involves implementing maximum recursion depth limits within the dissector functions and adding proper error handling for malformed PROFINET IO data structures, ensuring that the application maintains stability even when processing malformed network traffic.