CVE-2018-19627 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
In Wireshark 2.6.0 to 2.6.4 and 2.4.0 to 2.4.10, the IxVeriWave file parser could crash. This was addressed in wiretap/vwr.c by adjusting a buffer boundary.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/27/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-19627 represents a critical buffer overflow condition within Wireshark's IxVeriWave file parser implementation. This flaw affected multiple versions of the popular network protocol analyzer, specifically impacting releases from 2.6.0 through 2.6.4 and 2.4.0 through 2.4.10. The issue stems from inadequate boundary checking within the wiretap/vwr.c source file where the parser processes IxVeriWave format files used for network traffic capture and analysis. The vulnerability manifests when the parser encounters malformed or specially crafted IxVeriWave files that exceed expected buffer limits during memory allocation and data processing operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and more specifically aligns with CWE-787, representing out-of-bounds write operations. When Wireshark processes an IxVeriWave file containing malicious data structures, the parser fails to properly validate input boundaries before writing data to allocated memory buffers. This allows attackers to potentially overwrite adjacent memory locations, leading to unpredictable behavior including application crashes, memory corruption, or in severe cases, arbitrary code execution. The flaw operates at the protocol decoding layer where raw network data is interpreted and converted into structured analysis information, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered during routine file processing operations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to network security analysts and forensic investigators who rely on Wireshark for traffic analysis. The crash condition can be exploited through social engineering tactics where an attacker convinces a victim to open a maliciously crafted IxVeriWave file, potentially causing denial of service attacks against network analysis systems. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers command and scripting interpreter usage, as the crash could be leveraged to disrupt network monitoring capabilities. Organizations using Wireshark for security operations, incident response, or network troubleshooting face potential operational disruptions when this vulnerability is exploited, as the application may become unavailable during critical analysis periods. The impact extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially compromise the integrity of network analysis workflows and forensic data collection processes.
The remediation for this vulnerability involved implementing proper buffer boundary checks within the wiretap/vwr.c file as referenced in the original fix description. This solution addresses the root cause by ensuring that all input data processing operations validate buffer limits before memory operations occur. Security professionals should prioritize immediate patching of affected Wireshark versions, as the vulnerability can be exploited remotely through file attachment mechanisms or network traffic analysis tools that process IxVeriWave formatted data. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures such as restricting file processing permissions for network analysis tools, monitoring for unusual file processing patterns, and maintaining updated network traffic analysis workflows that avoid processing untrusted IxVeriWave files without proper validation. The fix demonstrates the importance of input validation and boundary checking in network protocol analysis tools, where malformed data can lead to system instability and potential security compromise.