CVE-2023-1993 is a vulnerability identified in the Wireshark network protocol analyzer, specifically in its LISP (Locator/ID Separation Protocol) dissector component. The flaw arises from excessive iteration within a large loop when processing LISP protocol data, which can be exploited by an attacker through crafted network packets or specially crafted capture files. This excessive looping can cause Wireshark to consume excessive CPU resources, leading to a denial of service by making the application unresponsive or causing it to crash. The affected versions include Wireshark 4.0.0 through 4.0.4 and 3.6.0 through 3.6.12. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-834 (Excessive Iteration), indicating a failure to properly limit loop iterations. Exploitation requires no privileges but does require user interaction, such as opening a malicious capture file or receiving a crafted packet during live capture. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.3, reflecting a medium severity with network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, but requiring user interaction. No public exploits or active exploitation have been reported. This vulnerability primarily impacts the availability of Wireshark during network analysis or forensic activities, potentially disrupting incident response or network troubleshooting workflows.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2023-1993 is operational disruption due to denial of service of Wireshark, a widely used tool for network traffic analysis, troubleshooting, and security investigations. Organizations relying on Wireshark for real-time packet capture or forensic analysis may experience delays or inability to analyze network traffic if a crafted packet or capture file triggers the vulnerability. This can affect incident response times and network monitoring capabilities. While confidentiality and integrity impacts are low, availability degradation can hinder cybersecurity operations, especially in critical infrastructure sectors such as telecommunications, finance, and government. The risk is heightened in environments where untrusted capture files are opened or where network traffic from untrusted sources is analyzed. Since no known exploits are in the wild, the immediate threat is moderate, but the vulnerability should be addressed promptly to prevent potential future exploitation.

1. Upgrade Wireshark to version 3.6.13 or 4.0.5 or later once official patches are released by the Wireshark Foundation. 2. Until patches are available, avoid opening capture files from untrusted or unknown sources. 3. Limit the use of Wireshark to trusted network environments and restrict access to capture files. 4. Employ network segmentation and filtering to reduce exposure to malicious LISP packets, especially from external or untrusted networks. 5. Educate users and analysts about the risk of opening suspicious capture files and encourage verification of file sources. 6. Monitor Wireshark usage logs and system performance for signs of excessive resource consumption that may indicate exploitation attempts. 7. Consider using alternative network analysis tools temporarily if patching is delayed and risk is high.