CVE-2023-2879VulnerabilityPublished 26 May 2023Updated 3 Nov 2025

CVE-2023-2879: Wireshark · infinite loop

Affects WiresharkSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.3 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 07:57 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.3Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 1.5% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 75% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: Low
Availability: Low

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: Low: Performance is reduced or there are interruptions in resource availability. Even if repeated exploitation of the vulnerability is possible, the attacker does not have the ability to completely deny service to legitimate users. The resources in the impacted component are either partially available all of the time, or fully available only some of the time, but overall there is no direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 26 May 2023
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-26.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Debiandebian/wireshark`pkg:deb/debian/wireshark`Other threats	Affected =4.0.0 <=4.0.5 >=3.6.0 <=3.6.13	Fixed in–

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

1. Upgrade Wireshark to versions 3.6.14 or 4.0.6 or later once official patches are released by the Wireshark Foundation to address CVE-2023-2879. 2. Until patches are available, avoid opening untrusted or unknown capture files, especially those received via email or downloaded from unverified sources. 3. Implement strict network segmentation and filtering to limit exposure to crafted packets that could trigger the infinite loop during live captures. 4. Use sandboxing or isolated environments for analyzing suspicious capture files to prevent disruption of critical systems. 5. Educate security analysts and network administrators about the risk and encourage vigilance when handling capture files. 6. Monitor Wireshark usage logs and system performance for signs of hangs or crashes that may indicate exploitation attempts. 7. Employ alternative network analysis tools temporarily if patching is delayed and critical operations depend on uninterrupted monitoring. 8. Integrate vulnerability scanning and asset management to identify all Wireshark instances and ensure timely updates. These targeted steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on operational controls and user awareness specific to this vulnerability’s exploitation vectors.

Description

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 crafted capture file

Impact

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2023-2879 is denial of service affecting network monitoring and security analysis capabilities. Wireshark is extensively used by cybersecurity teams, network administrators, and incident responders to inspect network traffic and detect malicious activity. An infinite loop causing Wireshark to hang or crash can delay threat detection and incident response, increasing the risk of undetected attacks or prolonged outages. Critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, finance, telecommunications, and government agencies in Europe rely heavily on network monitoring tools like Wireshark. Disruption in these environments could impair operational continuity and security posture. Although the vulnerability does not directly expose sensitive data or allow code execution, the loss of availability in security tools can indirectly increase risk exposure. Additionally, crafted capture files could be distributed via email or shared repositories, potentially targeting European organizations. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers often weaponize such vulnerabilities post-disclosure. Therefore, European entities must consider this vulnerability in their risk assessments and patch management strategies to maintain resilient network security operations.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 4 Nov 2025, 00:13 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-835

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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