CVE-2026-96423: CWE-122: Heap-based Buffer Overflow in Wireshark Foundation Wireshark
X11 protocol dissector crash in 4.6.0 to 4.6.8 and 4.4.0 to 4.4.18 allows denial of service
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-96423 affects the Wireshark network protocol analyzer specifically in its X11 protocol dissector component. Versions 4.4.0 to 4.4.18 and 4.6.0 to 4.6.8 are impacted. The issue is a heap-based buffer overflow that can be triggered to cause a crash, leading to denial of service. The CVSS 3.1 vector indicates local attack vector with low complexity, no privileges required, user interaction needed, and impact limited to availability.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability results in a denial of service by crashing the Wireshark application. There is no indication of confidentiality or integrity impact. The attack requires local access and user interaction, limiting the attack surface.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is released, avoid processing untrusted X11 protocol traffic with affected versions of Wireshark. Monitor vendor channels for updates.
CVE-2026-96423: CWE-122: Heap-based Buffer Overflow in Wireshark Foundation Wireshark
Description
X11 protocol dissector crash in 4.6.0 to 4.6.8 and 4.4.0 to 4.4.18 allows denial of service
CVSS v3.1
Score 5.5medium
Affected software
Wireshark Foundation
Wireshark
pkg:github/wireshark/wiresharkRun on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-96423 affects the Wireshark network protocol analyzer specifically in its X11 protocol dissector component. Versions 4.4.0 to 4.4.18 and 4.6.0 to 4.6.8 are impacted. The issue is a heap-based buffer overflow that can be triggered to cause a crash, leading to denial of service. The CVSS 3.1 vector indicates local attack vector with low complexity, no privileges required, user interaction needed, and impact limited to availability.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability results in a denial of service by crashing the Wireshark application. There is no indication of confidentiality or integrity impact. The attack requires local access and user interaction, limiting the attack surface.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is released, avoid processing untrusted X11 protocol traffic with affected versions of Wireshark. Monitor vendor channels for updates.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- GitLab
- Date Reserved
- 2026-09-23T05:42:00.660Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6abb897ef7a7c54106284f38
Added to database: 09/29/2026, 09:48:46 UTC
Last enriched: 09/29/2026, 10:03:19 UTC
Last updated: 09/29/2026, 18:20:12 UTC
Views: 12
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