CVE-2026-76885 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE • 08/20/2026
Tektronix K12xx file parser crash in 4.6.0 to 4.6.7 and 4.4.0 to 4.4.18 allows denial of service
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/20/2026
The vulnerability identified involves a critical flaw within the file parsing logic of Tektronix K12xx software versions ranging from 4.4.0 through 4.4.18 and 4.6.0 through 4.6.7. This issue manifests as an application crash, which directly results in a denial of service condition for users attempting to process specific input files. The root cause lies in the improper handling of malformed or specially crafted data structures during the parsing phase, where the software fails to adequately validate boundaries or check for exceptional conditions before executing memory operations. When such invalid inputs are processed, the application encounters an unrecoverable error state, leading to immediate termination rather than graceful error recovery or input rejection.
From a technical perspective, this type of vulnerability is commonly classified under CWE-20 Improper Input Validation and often involves underlying issues such as CWE-119 Memory Corruption based on the specific nature of the crash, whether it stems from buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or null pointer dereferences triggered by malformed data. The lack of robust boundary checks allows attackers to exploit these parsing routines by supplying inputs that exceed expected limits or contain unexpected control sequences. This exploitation does not require authentication in many scenarios if the affected files can be accessed via shared directories or networked storage, making it a significant risk for environments where file sharing is prevalent among laboratory personnel or engineering teams using Tektronix instrumentation software.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is primarily centered on availability and workflow disruption. Since the application crashes upon processing the malicious input, any ongoing data acquisition, analysis, or configuration tasks are abruptly halted. For organizations relying on continuous monitoring or high-throughput testing environments typical in semiconductor manufacturing or telecommunications research, such interruptions can lead to significant downtime and loss of valuable experimental data. Furthermore, repeated exploitation attempts could degrade system stability over time if not properly contained, potentially affecting other processes running on the same host machine depending on how the operating system handles the application termination.
Mitigation strategies should focus primarily on applying vendor-provided patches that address these parsing flaws in the affected version ranges. Administrators must ensure that all instances of Tektronix K12xx software are updated to versions beyond 4.6.7 and 4.4.18 where these issues have been resolved. In cases where immediate patching is not feasible, implementing strict input filtering at the network or file system level can help prevent malformed files from reaching the vulnerable application layer. Additionally, restricting access to directories containing sensitive configuration or data files reduces the attack surface by limiting who can trigger the parsing routine with malicious inputs.
This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1496 Resource Hijacking under the Impact tactic, specifically relating to Denial of Service through resource exhaustion or application crash exploitation. It also reflects common patterns seen in CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write if memory corruption is involved, highlighting the importance of secure coding practices in scientific and industrial software development. Organizations should conduct regular vulnerability assessments on their laboratory infrastructure to identify unpatched instances of this software and enforce strict version control policies to prevent exposure to known parsing vulnerabilities that compromise system reliability and data integrity.