CVE-2018-16057 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
In Wireshark 2.6.0 to 2.6.2, 2.4.0 to 2.4.8, and 2.2.0 to 2.2.16, the Radiotap dissector could crash. This was addressed in epan/dissectors/packet-ieee80211-radiotap-iter.c by validating iterator operations.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-16057 represents a critical buffer over-read condition within the Wireshark network protocol analyzer software. This issue affects multiple versions of Wireshark including the 2.6.x series from 2.6.0 through 2.6.2, the 2.4.x series from 2.4.0 through 2.4.8, and the 2.2.x series from 2.2.0 through 2.2.16. The flaw specifically resides within the Radiotap dissector component responsible for parsing IEEE 802.11 wireless network packets. When processing malformed or specially crafted Radiotap headers, the dissector fails to properly validate iterator operations, leading to memory access violations that result in application crashes. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 vulnerability category, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to denial of service or potentially arbitrary code execution depending on the attack vector and system configuration. The issue is particularly concerning as it affects the core packet parsing functionality of Wireshark, which is widely used by network security professionals for network traffic analysis and incident response activities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate validation within the epan/dissectors/packet-ieee80211-radiotap-iter.c file where the dissector iterates through Radiotap header fields without proper bounds checking. When encountering malformed packet data, the iterator logic continues to access memory locations beyond the intended buffer boundaries, causing segmentation faults and application termination. This behavior aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Windows, where malicious actors could potentially exploit such memory corruption vulnerabilities to execute arbitrary code or cause system instability. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic buffer over-read pattern where the dissector does not validate the length of the Radiotap header fields before attempting to parse them, creating opportunities for attackers to craft malicious packets that trigger the crash condition. Network security professionals using Wireshark for monitoring wireless network traffic face significant operational risks as this vulnerability could be exploited to disrupt network analysis operations or potentially provide a foothold for more sophisticated attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-16057 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as it represents a potential vector for more serious security incidents within network monitoring environments. Organizations relying on Wireshark for wireless network analysis, intrusion detection, or forensic investigations face risks when adversaries craft malicious 802.11 frames designed to trigger this vulnerability. The crash condition could be exploited in a denial of service attack against network monitoring systems, potentially disrupting critical network visibility capabilities. Security teams using Wireshark in production environments or during incident response operations may find their analysis tools become unavailable during critical moments, undermining their ability to investigate network anomalies or security incidents. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where Wireshark is used in automated monitoring systems or deployed in network security operations centers where continuous packet analysis is required. The fix implemented in the dissector code addresses the root cause by adding proper validation of iterator operations and bounds checking before accessing Radiotap header fields, preventing the over-read condition that previously led to application crashes. Organizations should prioritize patching affected versions to maintain the integrity of their network monitoring capabilities and prevent potential exploitation by threat actors targeting network analysis tools.