CVE-2024-8645 is a vulnerability identified in the Wireshark network protocol analyzer, specifically affecting versions 4.0.0 through 4.0.15 and 4.2.0. The root cause is an access of an uninitialized pointer within the SPRT dissector component, classified under CWE-824. This flaw can be exploited by an attacker who crafts malicious network packets or capture files that, when processed by Wireshark, cause the application to crash, resulting in a denial of service (DoS). The vulnerability does not compromise confidentiality or integrity but impacts availability by causing the Wireshark process to terminate unexpectedly. Exploitation requires user interaction, such as opening a malicious capture file or receiving specially crafted packets during live capture. No privileges are required to trigger the vulnerability, but the attacker must be able to deliver the crafted input to the victim’s Wireshark instance. Currently, there are no known exploits in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, indicating the need for vigilance and prompt updates once available. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.5, with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H, indicating local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges, required user interaction, unchanged scope, no confidentiality or integrity impact, but high impact on availability. This vulnerability is particularly relevant for organizations relying on Wireshark for network monitoring, forensic analysis, or security operations, as a crash could disrupt these critical functions.

For European organizations, this vulnerability primarily threatens the availability of Wireshark during network analysis and monitoring activities. Disruptions could delay incident response, forensic investigations, and real-time traffic analysis, potentially increasing the window of exposure to other threats. Critical sectors such as telecommunications, finance, energy, and government agencies that rely heavily on network monitoring tools may experience operational impacts. Although the vulnerability does not allow data leakage or system compromise, repeated crashes could degrade analyst productivity and confidence in monitoring tools. Additionally, organizations using automated systems that parse capture files could face service interruptions or require manual intervention. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the presence of the vulnerability in widely used versions necessitates proactive mitigation to avoid potential exploitation. The impact is more pronounced in environments where Wireshark is used extensively and where network visibility is critical for security posture.

1. Monitor Wireshark Foundation announcements and promptly apply patches once they are released addressing CVE-2024-8645. 2. Until patches are available, avoid opening untrusted or suspicious capture files and limit the use of Wireshark for live capture on untrusted networks. 3. Employ network segmentation and filtering to reduce exposure to malicious packets that could trigger the vulnerability during live captures. 4. Use alternative network analysis tools or earlier/later Wireshark versions not affected by this vulnerability if feasible. 5. Implement strict operational procedures for handling capture files, including scanning and validation before analysis. 6. Educate security analysts and network engineers about the risk and signs of Wireshark crashes related to this vulnerability. 7. Consider deploying endpoint protection solutions that can detect anomalous application crashes or suspicious packet injection attempts. 8. Maintain comprehensive logging and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts or repeated crashes that may indicate targeted attacks.