CVE-2018-9268 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
In Wireshark 2.4.0 to 2.4.5 and 2.2.0 to 2.2.13, epan/dissectors/packet-smb2.c has a memory leak.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/26/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-9268 represents a critical memory management flaw within the Wireshark network protocol analyzer software. This issue affects versions ranging from 2.4.0 through 2.4.5 and 2.2.0 through 2.2.13, making it a widespread concern across multiple release branches of the popular network forensics tool. The memory leak occurs specifically within the SMB2 protocol dissector component, which is responsible for analyzing Server Message Block version 2 network traffic. This protocol is extensively used in enterprise environments for file sharing and network communication, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in corporate network monitoring scenarios where Wireshark is commonly deployed.
The technical implementation flaw exists in the packet-smb2.c file where the dissector fails to properly release allocated memory resources when processing certain SMB2 protocol packets. This memory management deficiency allows attackers to craft malicious network traffic that, when analyzed by the vulnerable Wireshark version, causes the application to continuously allocate memory without subsequent deallocation. The vulnerability manifests as a gradual accumulation of memory usage that can eventually lead to application instability, performance degradation, or complete application crash. This type of memory leak falls under the CWE-401 category of "Improper Release of Memory Before Removing Last Reference" and represents a classic example of resource exhaustion that can be exploited through sustained network packet injection.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple performance degradation to potentially enable denial of service attacks against network monitoring infrastructure. When deployed in enterprise environments, Wireshark instances often run continuously on network monitoring servers or security operations centers where they process large volumes of network traffic. An attacker who can successfully exploit this memory leak could cause legitimate network monitoring operations to fail, potentially disrupting security incident response capabilities and network visibility. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where Wireshark is used for continuous network traffic analysis, as the memory leak would compound over time until system resources are exhausted. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001 for "Network Denial of Service" where adversaries can leverage resource exhaustion to disrupt network monitoring capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve immediate upgrading to patched versions of Wireshark where the memory leak has been addressed through proper memory management implementation. Organizations should prioritize patching affected systems and implement monitoring for unusual memory consumption patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional network segmentation and access controls to limit potential attack surfaces where vulnerable Wireshark instances might be deployed. The fix typically involves implementing proper memory deallocation routines in the SMB2 dissector code to ensure that all allocated memory blocks are correctly freed after processing network packets. Security teams should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on suspicious SMB2 traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.