Executive brief
A vulnerability was found in tcpdump, a widely used tool for monitoring and analyzing network traffic. By sending specially crafted network packets or providing a malicious capture file, an attacker could cause the application to crash or potentially execute unauthorized code. This could lead to a disruption of network monitoring services or a compromise of the system running the tool.
Technical details
A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in tcpdump versions prior to 4.9.0 within the ISO CLNS (Connectionless Network Service) parser. The flaw is located in the lookup_nsap() function in addrtoname.c. A remote attacker can exploit this by sending specially crafted network packets to a segment where tcpdump is performing live capture, or by tricking a user into opening a malicious pcap file. Successful exploitation can lead to a denial of service (application crash) or potentially arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the tcpdump process. The issue is addressed in version 4.9.0.
Affected products
- Tcpdump Project tcpdump before 4.9.0
Timeline
- 2017-01-26: patched: Upstream release 4.9.0 fixes the issue.
- 2017-01-28: disclosed: NVD publication date.