CVE-2022-0583 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE • 02/15/2022
Crash in the PVFS protocol dissector in Wireshark 3.6.0 to 3.6.1 and 3.4.0 to 3.4.11 allows denial of service via packet injection or crafted capture file
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/29/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-0583 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Wireshark's protocol dissector implementation for the PVFS protocol. This issue affects specific versions of Wireshark including releases 3.6.0 through 3.6.1 and 3.4.0 through 3.4.11, creating a window of exposure for network analysts and security professionals who rely on Wireshark for network traffic analysis. The PVFS protocol dissector is responsible for parsing and interpreting network packets that follow the PVFS protocol standards, which are commonly used in high-performance computing environments for parallel file system operations. The vulnerability manifests when the dissector encounters malformed or specially crafted packet data that triggers an unexpected crash in the Wireshark application.
The technical nature of this flaw stems from inadequate input validation within the PVFS protocol dissector component. When Wireshark processes network captures containing PVFS protocol data, the dissector fails to properly handle malformed packet structures or unexpected data sequences that could occur during normal network operations or through deliberate injection attacks. This lack of proper boundary checking and input sanitization creates a condition where the application crashes when attempting to parse invalid data, resulting in a complete application shutdown. The flaw operates at the protocol analysis layer, meaning it can be triggered either through real-time packet capture from a network interface or by opening a pre-recorded capture file that contains malicious PVFS protocol data. The crash occurs during the dissector's processing phase, where the application attempts to interpret and display packet information, causing an unhandled exception that terminates the Wireshark process.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-0583 extends beyond simple application instability, presenting significant risks to network monitoring and security operations. Security analysts and network administrators who depend on Wireshark for continuous network monitoring could experience unexpected service interruptions when processing legitimate network traffic containing PVFS protocol data. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where automated network monitoring systems rely on Wireshark for real-time analysis, as a single malicious packet or malformed capture file could cause widespread disruption. The vulnerability can be exploited through two primary vectors: packet injection attacks where an adversary injects specially crafted PVFS protocol packets into a network, or by creating malicious capture files that contain crafted PVFS protocol data. In both scenarios, the target system running Wireshark would experience a denial of service condition, requiring manual intervention to restart the application and potentially resulting in loss of network visibility during the outage period.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of improper input validation that leads to application instability. The flaw also maps to ATT&CK technique T1498, which covers network denial of service attacks, as it enables adversaries to disrupt network monitoring capabilities through targeted packet crafting. Organizations using affected Wireshark versions should immediately implement mitigations including updating to patched versions, implementing network segmentation to limit exposure, and monitoring for unusual packet patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The recommended solution involves upgrading to Wireshark versions that contain the specific patch addressing the PVFS protocol dissector crash condition. Additionally, network security teams should consider implementing capture file validation procedures and establishing incident response protocols for handling potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining current network analysis tools and demonstrates how protocol dissector flaws can create significant operational risks in security monitoring environments where application stability is paramount for continuous network visibility and threat detection capabilities.