CVE-2024-4854Network attack vector

Analysis hang via nonadvancing dissector offsets

Published May 14, 2024 · Updated Mar 27, 2026

Infinite loops in Wireshark 3.6.0 through 3.6.22, 4.0.0 through 4.0.14, and 4.2.0 through 4.2.4 allow attackers to exhaust CPU. The MONGO OP_MSG dissector reuses an unvalidated signed packet length instead of the validated BSON length, while the ZigBee TLV recursion-limit path permits backtracking without progress. A malformed packet injected onto the wire reaches the flaw without authentication, while the capture-file path requires a user to open a crafted trace; either path can hang analysis through excessive CPU consumption.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.81%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Infinite loops in Wireshark 3.6.0 through 3.6.22, 4.0.0 through 4.0.14, and 4.2.0 through 4.2.4 allow attackers to exhaust CPU. The MONGO OP_MSG dissector reuses an unvalidated signed packet length instead of the validated BSON length, while the ZigBee TLV recursion-limit path permits backtracking without progress. A malformed packet injected onto the wire reaches the flaw without authentication, while the capture-file path requires a user to open a crafted trace; either path can hang analysis through excessive CPU consumption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-4854
Published
May 14, 2024
Updated
Mar 27, 2026
Vendor
Wireshark Foundation
Product
Wireshark
Classifications
CWE-835, T1204.002
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 14, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 27, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=3.6.0 <3.6.23
  2. Affected versionversion=4.0.0 <4.0.15
  3. Affected versionversion=4.2.0 <4.2.5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Wireshark Foundation · Wiresharkversion=3.6.0 <3.6.23; version=4.0.0 <4.0.15; version=4.2.0 <4.2.5

Published CVSS scores

7.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
6.4GitLab Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-835Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')
T1204.002User Execution: Malicious File

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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