CVE-2024-0207 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE • 01/03/2024
HTTP3 dissector crash in Wireshark 4.2.0 allows denial of service via packet injection or crafted capture file
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-0207 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Wireshark version 4.2.0 affecting the HTTP/3 dissector component. This issue manifests when processing specially crafted network packets or capture files that contain malformed HTTP/3 protocol data structures. The HTTP/3 protocol implementation within Wireshark utilizes the QUIC transport layer and HTTP/3 framing mechanisms to decode and display network traffic. When encountering malformed or unexpected data structures during packet analysis, the dissector fails to properly handle the error conditions, leading to an application crash that terminates the Wireshark process.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in inadequate input validation and error handling within the HTTP/3 protocol dissector module. Specifically, the dissector does not properly validate the structure and content of HTTP/3 frames, headers, or control messages before attempting to parse them. This flaw creates a condition where maliciously crafted packets or capture files can trigger buffer overflows, null pointer dereferences, or other memory corruption issues that cause the application to terminate unexpectedly. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be exploited through multiple attack vectors including network packet injection and crafted capture files, making it accessible to both local and remote attackers.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to network security analysts and forensic investigators who rely on Wireshark for network traffic analysis. An attacker could potentially disrupt network monitoring operations by injecting specially crafted HTTP/3 packets into a network, causing Wireshark to crash and interrupting ongoing network analysis activities. Additionally, the vulnerability could be exploited through malicious capture files that, when opened in Wireshark, trigger the crash. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where Wireshark is used for security monitoring, incident response, or network troubleshooting. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as it could prevent security professionals from analyzing legitimate network traffic or investigating security incidents.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-476, which covers null pointer dereference issues. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004, specifically the technique of network denial of service, and potentially to T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments containing malicious capture files. The exploitability of this vulnerability is enhanced by the widespread use of Wireshark in network security operations, making it an attractive target for attackers seeking to disrupt security monitoring capabilities. Organizations using Wireshark for network analysis, forensic investigations, or security operations centers should consider this vulnerability as a high-priority threat requiring immediate remediation.
Mitigation strategies include immediate deployment of Wireshark version 4.2.1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the HTTP/3 dissector crash. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious traffic. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on anomalous HTTP/3 traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security updates and patch management procedures should be enforced across all network monitoring tools to prevent similar vulnerabilities from compromising security operations. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of input validation and proper error handling in network protocol analysis tools, particularly those handling complex protocols like HTTP/3 that involve multiple layers of encoding and decoding.