CVE-2024-0211: Denial of Service Vulnerability in Wireshark 4.2.0

Overview

The cybersecurity landscape is fraught with threats, and among them is the latest vulnerability CVE-2024-0211. Affecting Wireshark 4.2.0, a widely used network protocol analyzer, this vulnerability primarily allows for a denial of service (DoS) attack. The threat is particularly critical as it can lead to a potential system compromise or data leakage. Given Wireshark’s popularity among network administrators and cybersecurity professionals, the vulnerability poses a significant risk to a broad range of systems if left unaddressed.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2024-0211
Severity: High (7.8)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Denial of service, potential system compromise, data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Wireshark | 4.2.0

How the Exploit Works

The vulnerability lies in the DOCSIS dissector of Wireshark 4.2.0. An attacker can trigger a crash by injecting malicious packets or feeding a crafted capture file to the system running the vulnerable software. The crash results in a denial of service, and in some cases, it can lead to a potential system compromise or data leakage. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely and does not require any user interaction or privileges, enhancing its potential impact.

Conceptual Example Code

Below is a conceptual example of how an attacker might exploit the vulnerability. This pseudocode shows the creation of a crafted packet which, when processed by the vulnerable software, triggers the crash.

import scapy.all as scapy
# Create a DOCSIS header
header = scapy.Docsis()
# Craft a malicious payload
payload = "A" * 5000 # The actual payload would be carefully crafted to exploit the vulnerability
# Create a DOCSIS packet with the malicious payload
packet = scapy.Ether()/header/payload
# Send the packet to the target
scapy.send(packet, iface="eth0")

Please note that this is a simplified example created for educational purposes. In a real-world scenario, the malicious payload would be meticulously crafted to exploit the specific vulnerability in question.

Mitigation Guidance

To mitigate this vulnerability, users are advised to apply the vendor patch as soon as possible. In the meantime, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as temporary mitigation to prevent the exploitation of this vulnerability. It’s critical to keep these systems up-to-date and to monitor network traffic for signs of malicious activity continually.