CVE-2022-0585 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE • 02/18/2022
Large loops in multiple protocol dissectors in Wireshark 3.6.0 to 3.6.1 and 3.4.0 to 3.4.11 allow 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-2022-0585 represents a critical denial of service weakness affecting Wireshark versions 3.4.0 through 3.4.11 and 3.6.0 through 3.6.1. This issue stems from the improper handling of large loops within multiple protocol dissectors, which are essential components responsible for analyzing and interpreting network traffic data. When Wireshark processes malformed or specially crafted network packets, these dissectors can enter into infinite or excessively long loop iterations, causing the application to consume excessive system resources and ultimately become unresponsive.
The technical flaw manifests in the protocol dissection logic where certain dissectors fail to properly validate loop conditions or implement adequate loop bounds checking. This allows attackers to craft specific network packets or capture files containing malformed data structures that trigger these problematic loops. The vulnerability specifically affects multiple protocol dissectors, indicating a systemic issue rather than an isolated flaw in a single parsing module. This widespread impact across various protocol parsers suggests that the root cause lies in common architectural patterns or shared code components used across the dissection framework.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for network security analysts and forensic investigators who rely on Wireshark for traffic analysis. An attacker could inject malicious packets into a network that would cause Wireshark to crash or become unresponsive when processing these packets, effectively creating a denial of service condition that prevents legitimate network monitoring activities. Additionally, the vulnerability extends to capture files, meaning that simply opening a maliciously crafted .pcap file could trigger the same denial of service behavior, making it particularly dangerous in environments where analysts might encounter untrusted network captures.
The impact of this vulnerability aligns with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1499 category for network denial of service, where adversaries exploit software weaknesses to disrupt network monitoring capabilities. This weakness could be exploited in various scenarios including network security operations centers where Wireshark is used for real-time traffic analysis, or in forensic investigations where analysts might unknowingly process malicious capture files. The vulnerability also relates to CWE-835, which describes the weakness of infinite loops or excessive iterations in software applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-0585 primarily involve upgrading to patched versions of Wireshark where the loop handling has been corrected and validated. Organizations should implement immediate patch management procedures to upgrade to Wireshark versions 3.4.12 or 3.6.2, which contain the necessary fixes. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious traffic, while analysts should exercise caution when processing capture files from untrusted sources. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and loop bounds checking in network protocol analysis tools, emphasizing the need for defensive programming practices that prevent resource exhaustion attacks.