CVE-2018-7325 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
In Wireshark 2.4.0 to 2.4.4 and 2.2.0 to 2.2.12, epan/dissectors/packet-rpki-rtr.c had an infinite loop that was addressed by validating a length field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7325 represents a critical security flaw in Wireshark network protocol analyzer software affecting versions 2.4.0 through 2.4.4 and 2.2.0 through 2.2.12. This issue resides within the RPKI RTR dissector component which processes Route Views Protocol packets used in Internet routing security. The flaw manifests as an infinite loop during packet processing when handling malformed RPKI RTR protocol data, creating a denial of service condition that can crash the application and potentially disrupt network monitoring operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of length fields within the packet-rpki-rtr.c file. When Wireshark encounters RPKI RTR protocol packets with malformed or unexpected length values, the parsing logic fails to properly validate these fields before entering iterative processing loops. This allows an attacker to craft specially crafted RPKI RTR packets that cause the dissector to enter an infinite loop, consuming excessive CPU resources and preventing the application from processing subsequent packets. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-835 as an infinite loop without a valid exit condition, which directly impacts the availability and stability of network analysis tools.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-7325 extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially compromise network monitoring infrastructure. Network administrators relying on Wireshark for traffic analysis, security monitoring, and troubleshooting operations could experience complete service disruption when malicious packets are processed. This vulnerability affects the core functionality of network protocol analysis tools, making it particularly dangerous in environments where continuous monitoring is critical. The infinite loop condition can be exploited by remote attackers to perform denial of service attacks against systems running vulnerable versions of Wireshark, impacting both local and distributed network monitoring capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve upgrading to patched versions of Wireshark where the length field validation has been implemented to prevent the infinite loop condition. The fix introduced in subsequent releases validates the length fields before entering processing loops, ensuring that malformed packet data cannot trigger the problematic behavior. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation and packet filtering rules to prevent the transmission of malformed RPKI RTR packets to systems running vulnerable versions of Wireshark. Additionally, monitoring for unusual CPU utilization patterns and implementing automated alerting for network analysis tool crashes can help detect exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks and demonstrates the importance of input validation in network protocol analysis tools. The fix exemplifies defensive programming practices recommended in cybersecurity frameworks to prevent resource exhaustion attacks that target protocol parsers and network analysis applications.