CVE-2018-14368 : Security Advisory and Response

Wireshark versions 2.6.0 to 2.6.1, 2.4.0 to 2.4.7, and 2.2.0 to 2.2.15 were affected by an issue in the Bazaar protocol dissector leading to an infinite loop. The problem has been resolved by implementing proper handling of excessively long items.

Understanding CVE-2018-14368

This CVE entry addresses a vulnerability in Wireshark versions that could cause the Bazaar protocol dissector to enter an infinite loop.

What is CVE-2018-14368?

The vulnerability in Wireshark versions 2.6.0 to 2.6.1, 2.4.0 to 2.4.7, and 2.2.0 to 2.2.15 allowed the Bazaar protocol dissector to go into an infinite loop due to improper handling of long items.

The Impact of CVE-2018-14368

The vulnerability could potentially lead to a denial of service (DoS) condition by causing the Wireshark application to consume excessive resources or crash.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-14368

Wireshark versions 2.6.0 to 2.6.1, 2.4.0 to 2.4.7, and 2.2.0 to 2.2.15 were affected by this vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue was related to the Bazaar protocol dissector going into an infinite loop due to improper handling of excessively long items in the epan/dissectors/packet-bzr.c file.

Affected Systems and Versions

Wireshark 2.6.0 to 2.6.1
Wireshark 2.4.0 to 2.4.7
Wireshark 2.2.0 to 2.2.15

Exploitation Mechanism

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by crafting a malicious Bazaar protocol packet that triggers the infinite loop in the Wireshark dissector.

Mitigation and Prevention

It is crucial to take immediate steps to address and prevent the exploitation of CVE-2018-14368.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Wireshark to versions 2.6.2 or later, 2.4.8 or later, or 2.2.16 or later to mitigate the vulnerability.
Avoid opening suspicious or untrusted network captures with affected versions of Wireshark.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update Wireshark and other software to the latest versions to patch known vulnerabilities.
Employ network segmentation and access controls to limit the impact of potential attacks.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches provided by Wireshark to fix the vulnerability and enhance the security of the application.