CVE-2024-4853 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE • 05/14/2024
Memory handling issue in editcap could cause denial of service via crafted capture file
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-4853 represents a critical memory handling flaw within editcap, a component of Wireshark's packet analysis suite that facilitates manipulation and conversion of network capture files. This issue manifests as a denial of service condition that can be triggered by feeding editcap a specially crafted capture file designed to exploit memory allocation and deallocation patterns within the software's processing pipeline. The vulnerability resides in the way editcap manages memory resources when parsing and handling malformed input files, creating potential for arbitrary code execution or system instability that could be leveraged by attackers to disrupt network analysis operations. The flaw specifically impacts the memory management subsystem that handles various capture file formats, making it particularly dangerous in environments where automated processing of network traffic data is common. The vulnerability affects multiple capture file formats including but not limited to pcap, pcapng, and other binary network trace formats that editcap supports for conversion and editing operations.
The technical root cause of this memory handling issue stems from inadequate bounds checking and memory allocation validation within editcap's file parsing routines. When processing a malformed capture file, the software fails to properly validate the structure and content of the input data before attempting to allocate memory resources for processing. This leads to potential buffer overflows, memory corruption, or allocation failures that cause the application to crash or become unresponsive. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the memory management layer, where improper handling can result in heap corruption that may be exploitable under certain conditions. The flaw demonstrates poor adherence to secure coding practices as outlined in the CWE-125 vulnerability category, which addresses out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds writes. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting capture files that contain malformed headers, incorrect length fields, or corrupted data structures that trigger the memory handling routines in unexpected ways.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-4853 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to potentially compromise network security monitoring operations and forensic analysis capabilities. In production environments where editcap is used for automated processing of network traffic data, a successful exploitation could result in complete service disruption, forcing network administrators to restart critical analysis systems and potentially losing valuable network traffic data. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where automated tools rely on editcap for processing large volumes of capture files, as a single malicious or corrupted file could bring down entire analysis pipelines. Organizations using Wireshark for network security monitoring, incident response, or compliance auditing may experience significant operational disruption if attackers can exploit this vulnerability to cause denial of service conditions. The impact is amplified in high-traffic network environments where multiple capture files are processed simultaneously, as the memory corruption could affect system stability and potentially lead to data loss or corruption in related network analysis tools. This vulnerability directly affects the ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which involves network denial of service attacks, and T1059.007, covering script-based execution through command-line interfaces that may be used to exploit the vulnerability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-4853 should focus on immediate patching and operational hardening measures to prevent exploitation. Organizations should prioritize updating to the latest version of Wireshark that contains the patched editcap component, as vendors typically release security patches that address memory handling issues in their software components. Network security teams should implement additional file validation measures when processing capture files, including signature verification and automated scanning for malformed data patterns that could indicate malicious intent. System administrators should consider implementing sandboxing or containerization techniques when processing unknown or untrusted capture files to limit the potential impact of exploitation. Additionally, network monitoring systems should be configured to detect and alert on unusual processing patterns that may indicate denial of service attacks targeting the editcap functionality. The vulnerability highlights the importance of implementing comprehensive input validation and memory management practices, aligning with industry standards such as the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the exposure of systems running editcap to potentially malicious capture files, particularly in environments where automated processing of network traffic data occurs. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar memory handling vulnerabilities in other network analysis tools and security applications.