CVE-2018-9272 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-h223.c has a memory leak.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/26/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-9272 represents a critical memory leak flaw discovered in Wireshark versions ranging from 2.4.0 through 2.4.5 and 2.2.0 through 2.2.13. This issue resides within the epan/dissectors/packet-h223.c file, which is responsible for dissecting H.223 protocol packets used in multimedia communications. The H.223 protocol is commonly employed in video conferencing systems and other real-time multimedia applications where proper memory management is essential for system stability and performance.
The technical flaw manifests as improper memory deallocation within the H.223 dissector module, specifically when processing certain malformed or crafted network packets. When Wireshark encounters H.223 protocol traffic that triggers the affected code path, the application fails to properly release allocated memory blocks, leading to progressive memory consumption over time. This memory leak occurs during the packet dissection process where the dissector attempts to parse H.223 protocol elements such as packet headers, payload structures, and control information. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be triggered by simply capturing and analyzing network traffic containing H.223 protocol data, making it exploitable through normal network monitoring activities.
The operational impact of this memory leak vulnerability extends beyond simple performance degradation to potentially causing system instability and denial of service conditions. As the memory consumption continues to increase with each processed H.223 packet, the affected Wireshark instance may eventually exhaust available system resources, leading to application crashes or system slowdowns. Network analysts and security professionals using Wireshark for extended monitoring sessions or when analyzing large capture files containing H.223 traffic are particularly at risk. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-401 as a weakness related to improper release of memory, which is a fundamental memory management issue that can lead to various security implications including resource exhaustion attacks. Attackers could potentially exploit this vulnerability by crafting specific H.223 protocol packets designed to trigger the memory leak behavior, leading to sustained resource consumption that could compromise the availability of network analysis tools.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2018-9272 involves upgrading to Wireshark versions that have been patched to address the memory leak issue, specifically versions 2.4.6 and 2.2.14 or later. These updated releases contain proper memory deallocation routines that ensure all allocated resources are correctly freed during packet processing. System administrators and network security teams should prioritize this upgrade, particularly in environments where Wireshark is used for continuous monitoring or when analyzing large volumes of network traffic. Additionally, implementing network monitoring practices that limit exposure to potentially malicious traffic and regularly restarting Wireshark sessions can help mitigate the impact of this vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1499 category related to network infiltration, as the memory leak could be leveraged to compromise network analysis capabilities and potentially disrupt security operations that depend on stable network monitoring tools. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring for memory usage patterns in Wireshark processes to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish baseline performance metrics to quickly identify abnormal resource consumption.