Skip to main content

Wireshark CVE-2026-15167

| EUVDEUVD-2026-42415 MEDIUM
Stack-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-121)
2026-07-08 cve@gitlab.com GHSA-qx92-wm5h-2pg7
Buffer Overflow Denial Of Service Stack Overflow Wireshark
5.5
CVSS 3.1 · NVD
View

Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Craft malformed DBS Etherwatch capture
  2. Delivery
    Deliver file or inject frames to analyst
  3. Exploit
    DBS Etherwatch dissector parses input
  4. Execution
    Stack buffer overflow triggered
  5. Impact
    Wireshark process crashes (DoS)

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
CWE-121
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Stack buffer bounds checking
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Sign in to read
Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires that Wireshark process DBS Etherwatch-formatted data - either by the analyst opening an attacker-supplied capture file or by Wireshark live-capturing crafted DBS Etherwatch frames - with the DBS Etherwatch dissector enabled (it is enabled by default). Limiting factors: the impact is confined to crashing the local Wireshark process (availability only), the affected versions are specifically 4.6.0-4.6.6 and 4.4.0-4.4.16, and although the CVSS marks UI:N, the realistic file-based vector depends on analyst action to load the malicious capture; the niche DBS Etherwatch protocol must actually be present in the parsed data.
Impact

The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H = 7.5) presents this as a low-effort, unauthenticated, network-reachable availability issue, but that scoring warrants scrutiny. In practice a Wireshark dissector crash requires the analyst to load a crafted capture file or to be live-capturing the specific DBS Etherwatch traffic, so the UI:N/AV:N rating reflects the packet-injection path rather than the more common open-a-malicious-file path - verify against your deployment model. No EPSS score, KEV listing, POC, or SSVC decision data was provided; absence of these signals plus an availability-only impact places real-world priority as moderate. The worst outcome is a single analyst's Wireshark instance crashing, not server-side or persistent compromise, so this is a genuine but low-urgency issue for most environments. The stack-overflow class (CWE-121) theoretically raises code-execution concern, but the vendor-assigned C:N/I:N argues against demonstrated RCE.
Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker crafts a malformed DBS Etherwatch capture file (e.g., a .pcap/.pcapng) and lures an analyst into opening it, or injects crafted DBS Etherwatch frames onto a network segment where an analyst is live-capturing. When the dissector parses the malformed data it overflows a stack buffer and Wireshark crashes, denying the analyst use of the tool. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

Get an e-mail when this CVE is exploited, patched or re-scored. Free account.

Alert me

AnalysisAIv1 – Jul 08, 2026

Denial of service in Wireshark's DBS Etherwatch dissector affects release branches 4.6.0 through 4.6.6 and 4.4.0 through 4.4.16, where a malformed capture file or crafted packet can crash the application. The flaw is a stack-based buffer overflow (CWE-121) that manifests only as an availability impact - no confidentiality or integrity loss and no confirmed code execution - carrying a 7.5 (High) CVSS. No public exploit identified at time of analysis and the CVE is not listed in CISA KEV.

RemediationAI

Patch available per vendor advisory (wnpa-sec-2026-62): upgrade to the fixed maintenance release on your branch - Wireshark's standard practice is to fix such issues in the next point release above the affected range (i.e., the 4.6.x release after 4.6.6 and the 4.4.x release after 4.4.16), but the exact fixed version numbers are not stated in the provided input and should be confirmed at https://www.wireshark.org/security/wnpa-sec-2026-62.html before deployment. As a compensating control until patched, avoid opening untrusted capture files and disable the DBS Etherwatch dissector via Analyze > Enabled Protocols (uncheck the protocol), which prevents the vulnerable parser from running at the cost of not decoding that niche protocol. When live-capturing on untrusted networks, restrict capture to needed protocols or use a build with the dissector disabled. Review the upstream fix at https://gitlab.com/wireshark/wireshark/-/work_items/21352 for verification.

Affected VersionsENISA

Wireshark 4.4.0 <4.4.17
Wireshark 4.6.0 <4.6.7

Affected Packages

euvd wireshark fix: 4.4.17, 4.6.7

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Sign in to check
Technical ContextAI · show details

Wireshark is a widely used open-source network protocol analyzer that decodes captured traffic through a large collection of dissectors. The affected component is the DBS Etherwatch dissector, which parses DEC/Digital Etherwatch capture data. The root cause is classified as CWE-121 (Stack-based Buffer Overflow): the parser writes beyond a fixed-size stack buffer while processing malformed DBS Etherwatch input, corrupting the stack and crashing the process. Vendor tags (Buffer Overflow, Stack Overflow, Denial Of Service) confirm the overflow class, but the CVSS impact metrics (C:N/I:N/A:H) indicate the observed effect is a crash rather than exploitable memory corruption leading to code execution. No CPE strings were supplied in the input; affected products are drawn from the description's version ranges.

Know when Wireshark gets its next vulnerability

  • Watch products and get an email when something new is published
  • Check this CVE against your own stack and servers
  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
Continue with Google Continue with GitHub

No credit card · 7-day full trial

Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY 5.5 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.5 HIGH

Availability-only crash with no demonstrated code execution despite the stack-overflow class; network-capturable input keeps AV:N/PR:N, though realistic file-open vector would justify UI:R.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
SUSE 7.5 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Red Hat 6.5 MEDIUM

Primary rating from NVD.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

3
Severity Changed
Jul 09, 2026 - 20:07 NVD
HIGH MEDIUM
CVSS changed
Jul 09, 2026 - 20:07 NVD
7.5 (HIGH) 5.5 (MEDIUM)
Patch available
Jul 08, 2026 - 22:04 EUVD

DescriptionNVD

DBS Etherwatch file parser crash in Wireshark 4.6.0 to 4.6.6 and 4.4.0 to 4.4.16 allows denial of service

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Wireshark versions 4.6.0-4.6.6 and 4.4.0-4.4.16 contain a denial-of-service vulnerability that can crash the application when processing malformed network captures, potentially disrupting critical network monitoring and incident response operations. With no vendor patch currently available, organizations must immediately inventory affected systems and implement interim mitigations to prevent operational disruption.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: restrict to trusted and validated network capture sources; disable DBS Etherwatch dissector if operationally feasible; enforce access controls limiting who can submit captures for analysis; monitor for suspicious capture file submissions; maintain offline backups of critical Wireshark instances; establish alerts for vendor patch availability and plan upgrade timeline.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 80% exploitable
Prevalence
High
de facto standard network analyzer across security and IT teams
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High
EUVD NVD CVE.org EPSS Vulnrichment Vendor

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.3%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
Yes
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

28
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +28
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Buffer Overflow HIGH

A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.

Stack-based Buffer Overflow HIGH

A stack-based buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a buffer located on the stack than it was allocated to hold.

Denial of Service MEDIUM

Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.

More in Wireshark

View all
CVE-2014-2299 CRITICAL POC
9.3 Mar 11

Buffer overflow in the mpeg_read function in wiretap/mpeg.c in the MPEG parser in Wireshark 1.8.x before 1.8.13 and 1.10
CVE-2013-4074 MEDIUM POC
5.0 Jun 09

The dissect_capwap_data function in epan/dissectors/packet-capwap.c in the CAPWAP dissector in Wireshark 1.6.x before 1.
CVE-2018-6836 CRITICAL POC
9.8 Feb 08

The netmonrec_comment_destroy function in wiretap/netmon.c in Wireshark through 2.4.4 performs a free operation on an un
CVE-2014-4174 CRITICAL POC
9.3 Jun 18

wiretap/libpcap.c in the libpcap file parser in Wireshark 1.10.x before 1.10.4 allows remote attackers to execute arbitr
CVE-2017-9353 HIGH POC
7.5 Jun 02

In Wireshark 2.2.0 to 2.2.6, the IPv6 dissector could crash. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remot
CVE-2017-17085 HIGH POC
7.5 Dec 01

In Wireshark 2.4.0 to 2.4.2 and 2.2.0 to 2.2.10, the CIP Safety dissector could crash. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), t
CVE-2017-9347 HIGH POC
7.5 Jun 02

In Wireshark 2.2.0 to 2.2.6, the ROS dissector could crash with a NULL pointer dereference. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.
CVE-2025-5601 HIGH POC
7.8 Jun 04

A denial of service vulnerability in Column handling crashes in Wireshark 4.4.0 to 4.4.6 and 4.2.0 to 4.2.12 (CVSS 7.8)

CVE-2023-4513 HIGH POC
7.5 Aug 24

BT SDP dissector memory leak in Wireshark 4.0.0 to 4.0.7 and 3.6.0 to 3.6.15 allows denial of service via packet injecti
CVE-2023-4512 HIGH POC
7.5 Aug 24

CBOR dissector crash in Wireshark 4.0.0 to 4.0.6 allows denial of service via packet injection or crafted capture file.

CVE-2023-2879 HIGH POC
7.5 May 26

GDSDB infinite loop in Wireshark 4.0.0 to 4.0.5 and 3.6.0 to 3.6.13 allows denial of service via packet injection or cra
CVE-2023-1992 HIGH POC
7.5 Apr 12

RPCoRDMA dissector crash in Wireshark 4.0.0 to 4.0.4 and 3.6.0 to 3.6.12 allows denial of service via packet injection o

Same weakness CWE-121 – Stack-based Buffer Overflow

View all
CVE-2025-0282 CRITICAL POC
9.0
CVE-2025-22457 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2012-10060 CRITICAL POC
9.3
CVE-2012-10053 CRITICAL POC
9.3
CVE-2013-10064 CRITICAL POC
9.3
CVE-2012-10023 MEDIUM POC
6.9
CVE-2012-10058 CRITICAL POC
10.0
CVE-2013-10068 CRITICAL POC
9.4

Same technique Buffer Overflow

View all
CVE-2017-7269 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2015-5119 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2015-3113 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2011-2462 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2020-0796 CRITICAL POC
10.0
CVE-2019-11043 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2009-0927 HIGH POC
8.8
CVE-2012-1889 HIGH POC
8.8

Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: Important
Product Status
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Desktop Applications 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP7 Affected

References

Advisories & patches
ADVISORY https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-15167 REF https://gitlab.com/wireshark/wireshark/-/work_items/21352 REF https://www.wireshark.org/security/wnpa-sec-2026-62.html

Search Externally

GitHub PoC Exploit-DB PacketStorm Snyk Rapid7 Nuclei Templates Trickest PoC
Back

This site uses cookies essential for authentication and security. No tracking or analytics cookies are used. Privacy Policy