CVE-2024-22654 is a vulnerability identified in the tcpreplay tool, specifically version 4.4.4. The issue arises within the tcprewrite function located in the get.c source file, where an infinite loop condition can be triggered. Tcpreplay is a widely used network packet replay utility that allows users to replay captured network traffic for testing and analysis purposes. The infinite loop vulnerability corresponds to CWE-835 (Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition), which can cause the program to hang indefinitely when processing certain inputs. According to the CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network without any privileges or user interaction, and it impacts the availability of the affected system by causing a denial of service (DoS) condition. There is no impact on confidentiality or integrity. No patches or known exploits in the wild have been reported at the time of publication. The vulnerability was reserved in early 2024 and published in May 2025, indicating recent discovery and disclosure. The lack of vendor or product details suggests that the vulnerability is specific to the open-source tcpreplay tool rather than a commercial product. The infinite loop could be triggered by specially crafted packet data or replay scenarios that cause the tcprewrite function to fail to exit its processing loop.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2024-22654 is a denial of service condition affecting systems that utilize tcpreplay for network testing, security research, or forensic analysis. Organizations relying on tcpreplay to simulate network traffic for intrusion detection system (IDS) tuning, firewall testing, or network performance evaluation may experience service interruptions or delays if the vulnerability is exploited. This could disrupt security operations centers (SOCs) or network engineering teams, potentially delaying incident response or network troubleshooting activities. While the vulnerability does not compromise data confidentiality or integrity, the availability impact could hinder critical security validation processes. Given the remote exploitability without authentication or user interaction, attackers could cause tcpreplay-based services or automated testing environments to become unresponsive, impacting operational efficiency. However, since tcpreplay is a specialized tool primarily used by network professionals rather than general production environments, the overall risk to broad enterprise infrastructure is limited. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate threat levels but does not eliminate the risk of future exploitation, especially in targeted attacks against organizations with mature network testing capabilities.

To mitigate CVE-2024-22654, European organizations should first identify all instances of tcpreplay version 4.4.4 or earlier in their environments. Since no official patch links are currently available, organizations should monitor the tcpreplay project repositories and security advisories for forthcoming patches or updates addressing this infinite loop issue. In the interim, restricting access to systems running tcpreplay to trusted personnel and networks can reduce exposure. Implement input validation and sanitization on packet capture files used with tcpreplay to avoid malformed or maliciously crafted data that could trigger the infinite loop. Consider running tcpreplay in isolated or sandboxed environments to contain potential denial of service impacts. Additionally, incorporate monitoring and alerting for unusual resource consumption or process hangs related to tcpreplay executions. Network teams should also evaluate alternative packet replay tools that do not exhibit this vulnerability until a fix is released. Finally, maintain regular backups and incident response plans to quickly recover from any service disruptions caused by exploitation attempts.