Wireshark is an open-source packet analyzer that network administrators and security professionals utilize for monitoring and analyzing network traffic. A vulnerability, identified as CVE-2023-4513, has been discovered in Wireshark versions 4.. to 4..7 and 3.6. to 3.6.15. This post aims to discuss the details of the vulnerability, the potential exploit scenarios, and the ways to mitigate the risk associated with this memory leak issue.

Vulnerability Details

The vulnerability lies within the Bluetooth SDP (Service Discovery Protocol) dissector used by Wireshark. A memory leak occurs, leading to a denial of service (DoS) situation when an attacker sends maliciously crafted packets or provides a tampered capture file. This issue affects both Wireshark versions 4.. to 4..7 and 3.6. to 3.6.15 and can be exploited remotely.

1) Packet Injection

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by injecting crafted packets, containing specific bytes in the length field, into the network. When Wireshark captures and dissects these packets, the memory leak would occur, consequently causing the application to crash or become unresponsive.

Here's a code snippet that demonstrates a packet injection scenario

import socket

sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_RAW, socket.IPPROTO_RAW)

packet = b'\x00\x00\x00\x00...'  # Crafted malicious packet

sock.sendto(packet, ('TARGET_IP_ADDRESS', ))

2) Tampering with Capture Files

Another way to exploit CVE-2023-4513 is to provide a maliciously altered capture file to a Wireshark user. This file could contain modified data that would cause memory leaks when dissected by the SDP dissector, eventually crashing the application.

1. Wireshark's Official Security Advisory
2. National Vulnerability Database (NVD) - CVE-2023-4513
3. CVE Details' CVE-2023-4513 Page

Mitigation Steps

The best way to mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2023-4513 is to update Wireshark to the latest version. Wireshark's developers have released patched versions that resolve this problem.

For Wireshark 3.6 users, update to Wireshark 3.6.16 or later.

You can download the latest version of Wireshark from its official website: https://www.wireshark.org/download.html

Additionally, network administrators should monitor their networks for any unusual packet traffic and isolate any suspicious devices to prevent a potential exploitation attempt.

Conclusion

This post provided an overview of the CVE-2023-4513 vulnerability, the exploit scenarios, and how to mitigate the risks. Keep your Wireshark installation updated to ensure it remains protected against both this and other potential security issues. By staying informed and applying security best practices, you can prevent attacks and protect your networks more effectively.

Timeline

Published on: 08/24/2023 07:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 09/15/2023 22:15:00 UTC