CVE-2018-19628 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
In Wireshark 2.6.0 to 2.6.4, the ZigBee ZCL dissector could crash. This was addressed in epan/dissectors/packet-zbee-zcl-lighting.c by preventing a divide-by-zero error.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/12/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-19628 represents a critical denial-of-service flaw within Wireshark's ZigBee Cluster Library dissector. This issue affected versions 2.6.0 through 2.6.4 of the popular network protocol analyzer, where the ZigBee ZCL dissector would experience a crash when processing malformed or specially crafted network traffic. The root cause of this vulnerability lies in a divide-by-zero error that occurred during the processing of ZigBee lighting cluster data, specifically within the packet-zbee-zcl-lighting.c file. Such a condition would cause the dissector to terminate unexpectedly, leading to a complete disruption of network traffic analysis capabilities for users monitoring ZigBee-based networks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft specific network packets that would trigger the divide-by-zero condition within the ZigBee ZCL lighting dissector. When Wireshark processes these malicious packets, the software would attempt to perform a division operation with zero as the divisor, causing an arithmetic exception that results in an application crash. This behavior aligns with CWE-369, which describes the weakness of divide-by-zero errors in software implementations, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where continuous network monitoring is required. The impact extends beyond simple application instability, as it could be leveraged to disrupt network analysis operations that depend on Wireshark for ZigBee protocol inspection.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for network security professionals and researchers who rely on Wireshark for protocol analysis. Organizations monitoring ZigBee-based smart home devices, industrial control systems, or wireless sensor networks could experience complete disruption of their monitoring capabilities when encountering maliciously crafted traffic. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where automated network monitoring systems are deployed, as the crash could occur without any user intervention, potentially masking actual security incidents or network anomalies. The disruption of network analysis tools in such critical infrastructure monitoring scenarios could lead to delayed incident response times and compromised security posture.
The remediation for CVE-2018-19628 was implemented through careful code review and modification of the packet-zbee-zcl-lighting.c file to prevent the divide-by-zero condition. This fix demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and error handling within protocol dissectors, which are critical components of network analysis tools. The solution aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network disruption through service availability attacks, as the vulnerability could be exploited to deny network analysis services. Security practitioners should ensure all instances of Wireshark are updated to versions 2.6.5 or later, where this vulnerability has been properly addressed. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing monitoring for unusual network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability could be used in conjunction with other attacks to disrupt network visibility and security operations.