CVE-2018-7417 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
In Wireshark 2.2.0 to 2.2.12 and 2.4.0 to 2.4.4, the IPMI dissector could crash. This was addressed in epan/dissectors/packet-ipmi-picmg.c by adding support for crafted packets that lack an IPMI header.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/16/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7417 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Wireshark's IPMI dissector functionality. This issue affected versions ranging from 2.2.0 through 2.2.12 and 2.4.0 through 2.4.4, where the network protocol analyzer would experience a crash when processing specially crafted IPMI packets. The root cause lies in the dissector's inability to properly handle packets that lack the standard IPMI header structure, creating a scenario where legitimate network traffic could trigger application instability. The vulnerability operates at the protocol decoding layer, specifically within the epan/dissectors/packet-ipmi-picmg.c file, which is responsible for parsing IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) packets used in out-of-band network management systems. This flaw falls under CWE-129 Input Validation, as the dissector failed to validate packet structures before attempting to process them, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter where malformed input could cause application termination.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application crashes, as it could potentially be exploited by adversaries to disrupt network monitoring operations within enterprise environments. Organizations relying on Wireshark for network analysis and security monitoring would face service interruptions when encountering malicious or malformed IPMI traffic, particularly in data centers where IPMI is commonly used for server management. The crash scenario typically occurs when the dissector attempts to parse packet fields that do not exist in the absence of a proper IPMI header, leading to memory access violations or null pointer dereferences. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where network administrators use Wireshark for continuous monitoring, as it could be leveraged to perform service disruption attacks against network analysis infrastructure. The flaw demonstrates a classic buffer over-read condition where the dissector attempts to access memory locations beyond the actual packet boundaries, creating a potential pathway for more sophisticated attacks if combined with other vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-7417 primarily focus on updating to patched versions of Wireshark where the dissector has been enhanced to gracefully handle packets lacking IPMI headers. The fix implemented in the epan/dissectors/packet-ipmi-picmg.c file includes proper validation checks that ensure the dissector can process malformed packets without crashing, effectively preventing the denial of service condition. Network security teams should prioritize patch management to ensure all instances of Wireshark within their environments are updated to versions 2.2.13, 2.4.5, or later, which contain the necessary code modifications. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious IPMI traffic can provide defensive layers, though this does not address the core vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect application crashes or restarts in network analysis tools, as these events could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust input validation in protocol dissectors and demonstrates how seemingly minor parsing issues can result in significant operational disruptions. Security professionals should also be aware that similar patterns of vulnerability may exist in other protocol dissectors within Wireshark, emphasizing the need for comprehensive code review and testing of network protocol analysis tools against malformed inputs.