CVE-2020-17498 : Security Advisory and Response

Wireshark 3.2.0 to 3.2.5 is affected by a vulnerability in the Kafka protocol dissector that could lead to a crash. The issue was resolved by addressing a double free during LZ4 decompression.

Understanding CVE-2020-17498

In Wireshark versions 3.2.0 to 3.2.5, a specific vulnerability related to the Kafka protocol dissector was identified and fixed to prevent potential crashes.

What is CVE-2020-17498?

The vulnerability in Wireshark versions 3.2.0 to 3.2.5 allowed the Kafka protocol dissector to crash due to a double free during LZ4 decompression.

The Impact of CVE-2020-17498

The vulnerability could potentially lead to a denial of service (DoS) situation where an attacker could exploit the issue to crash the Wireshark application.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-17498

Wireshark 3.2.0 to 3.2.5 was susceptible to a specific issue within the Kafka protocol dissector.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in the Kafka protocol dissector could result in a crash due to a double free during LZ4 decompression.

Affected Systems and Versions

Wireshark versions 3.2.0 to 3.2.5

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to cause a denial of service (DoS) by crashing the Wireshark application.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to address and prevent the CVE-2020-17498 vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Wireshark to the latest version to ensure the vulnerability is patched.
Avoid opening suspicious or unknown capture files with Wireshark.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update Wireshark and other software to mitigate potential vulnerabilities.
Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of any successful exploitation.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches and updates provided by Wireshark promptly to address known vulnerabilities.