CVE-2018-9262 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

Wireshark versions 2.4.0 to 2.4.5 and 2.2.0 to 2.2.13 encountered a crash issue in the VLAN dissector due to unrestricted recursion depth. The vulnerability was addressed by imposing restrictions on VLAN tag nesting.

Understanding CVE-2018-9262

Wireshark versions 2.4.0 to 2.4.5 and 2.2.0 to 2.2.13 experienced a crash issue in the VLAN dissector, which was mitigated by limiting VLAN tag nesting.

What is CVE-2018-9262?

In Wireshark versions 2.4.0 to 2.4.5 and 2.2.0 to 2.2.13, a vulnerability in the VLAN dissector could lead to a crash due to unbounded recursion depth.

The Impact of CVE-2018-9262

The vulnerability could be exploited by an attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) by crashing the Wireshark application.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-9262

Wireshark vulnerability details and mitigation steps.

Vulnerability Description

The issue resided in the VLAN dissector of Wireshark versions 2.4.0 to 2.4.5 and 2.2.0 to 2.2.13, allowing for a crash due to unrestricted recursion depth.

Affected Systems and Versions

Wireshark versions 2.4.0 to 2.4.5
Wireshark versions 2.2.0 to 2.2.13

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers could exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious network packets to trigger the crash in the VLAN dissector.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2018-9262.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Wireshark to the latest patched version.
Avoid opening suspicious or untrusted network capture files.
Monitor vendor security advisories for updates.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software applications.
Implement network segmentation to contain potential attacks.
Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing.

Patching and Updates

Ensure Wireshark is updated to versions that include the fix for the VLAN dissector crash vulnerability.