CVE-2018-14465 in tcpdump
Summary
by MITRE
The RSVP parser in tcpdump before 4.9.3 has a buffer over-read in print-rsvp.c:rsvp_obj_print().
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-14465 represents a critical buffer over-read flaw within the RSVP parser functionality of tcpdump version 4.9.2 and earlier. This issue manifests specifically in the print-rsvp.c source file at the rsvp_obj_print() function, where insufficient input validation allows maliciously crafted network packets to trigger memory access violations. The vulnerability resides in the network packet analysis tool's ability to parse Resource Reservation Protocol messages, which are essential for managing network bandwidth reservations in multi-protocol label switching environments.
The technical implementation of this flaw stems from inadequate bounds checking during the parsing of RSVP object headers and their associated data fields. When tcpdump processes incoming RSVP packets containing malformed or oversized data structures, the parser attempts to read beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, potentially accessing uninitialized memory regions or data belonging to adjacent memory allocations. This over-read condition can result in information disclosure, application crashes, or in severe cases, arbitrary code execution depending on the memory layout and the nature of the data encountered during the overflow.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to network monitoring and security operations since tcpdump is widely deployed across enterprise networks for packet analysis and troubleshooting. An attacker could exploit this flaw by crafting malicious RSVP packets designed to trigger the buffer over-read condition when processed by vulnerable tcpdump instances. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service as the over-read could expose sensitive memory contents including authentication credentials, cryptographic keys, or system configuration data. Network administrators who rely on tcpdump for security monitoring may unknowingly process malicious packets that could compromise their monitoring infrastructure.
The vulnerability maps to CWE-125: "Out-of-bounds Read" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046: "Network Service Scanning' and T1059: "Command and Scripting Interpreter' as it could enable attackers to gain information about network services and potentially execute commands through compromised monitoring systems. Organizations using tcpdump for network security monitoring should prioritize patching to version 4.9.3 or later, which implements proper bounds checking in the RSVP parser. Additional mitigations include implementing network segmentation to limit exposure, deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious RSVP traffic patterns, and ensuring that tcpdump is run with minimal privileges to limit potential damage from exploitation. The fix typically involves adding comprehensive input validation checks before memory access operations, ensuring that all buffer reads are bounded by the actual size of the input data structure.