CVE-2017-12996 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Understanding CVE-2017-12996

What is CVE-2017-12996?

A buffer over-read vulnerability is present in the PIMv2 parser of tcpdump versions older than 4.9.2. This specific vulnerability is located in the print-pim.c:pimv2_print() function.

The Impact of CVE-2017-12996

This vulnerability could be exploited by attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on systems running the affected versions of tcpdump.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-12996

Vulnerability Description

The PIMv2 parser in tcpdump before version 4.9.2 suffers from a buffer over-read in the print-pim.c:pimv2_print() function.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Not applicable
Vendor: Not applicable
Versions affected: Versions older than 4.9.2

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by crafting a malicious PIMv2 packet to trigger the buffer over-read in the tcpdump parser.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Update tcpdump to version 4.9.2 or later to mitigate the vulnerability.
Monitor vendor advisories and apply patches promptly.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software to prevent known vulnerabilities.
Implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the impact of potential attacks.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that all software and systems are regularly updated with the latest security patches to address known vulnerabilities.