CPU exhaustion via excessive dissector loops
Published Feb 18, 2022 · Updated Nov 3, 2025
Denial of service in Wireshark 3.4.0 through 3.4.11 and 3.6.0 through 3.6.1 allows attackers to exhaust CPU via malformed packets. In the P_MUL dissector, attacker-controlled sequence-number gaps drive reporting across a forged large range; other affected dissectors likewise enter large loops. Triggering the flaw requires captured injected traffic or a crafted trace file, causing sustained CPU consumption without reported data exposure or modification.
Summary
What happened
Denial of service in Wireshark 3.4.0 through 3.4.11 and 3.6.0 through 3.6.1 allows attackers to exhaust CPU via malformed packets. In the P_MUL dissector, attacker-controlled sequence-number gaps drive reporting across a forged large range; other affected dissectors likewise enter large loops. Triggering the flaw requires captured injected traffic or a crafted trace file, causing sustained CPU consumption without reported data exposure or modification.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-0585
- Published
- Feb 18, 2022
- Updated
- Nov 3, 2025
- Vendor
- Wireshark Foundation
- Product
- Wireshark
- Classifications
- CWE-834, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 18, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 3, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=>=3.4.0, <3.4.12
- Affected versionversion=>=3.6.0, <3.6.2
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- poc_p_mul.missing_seq_no_dos.pcapproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo