Analyzer crash via stack-key lifetime error
Published Aug 28, 2024 · Updated Mar 27, 2026
Expired pointer dereference in Wireshark 4.0.0 through 4.0.16 and 4.2.0 through 4.2.6 allows attackers to crash the analyzer. The NTLMSSP dissector stores a stack-created decryption key in a hash table; a later header_equal comparison dereferences the expired key and reads beyond the stack object. Triggering requires injecting a malformed packet into a live capture or inducing a user to open a crafted capture file, and the documented consequence is process termination.
Summary
What happened
Expired pointer dereference in Wireshark 4.0.0 through 4.0.16 and 4.2.0 through 4.2.6 allows attackers to crash the analyzer. The NTLMSSP dissector stores a stack-created decryption key in a hash table; a later header_equal comparison dereferences the expired key and reads beyond the stack object. Triggering requires injecting a malformed packet into a live capture or inducing a user to open a crafted capture file, and the documented consequence is process termination.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-8250
- Published
- Aug 28, 2024
- Updated
- Mar 27, 2026
- Vendor
- Wireshark Foundation
- Product
- Wireshark
- Classifications
- CWE-787, CWE-825, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 28, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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.
- Affected versionversion=4.0.0 <4.0.17
- Affected versionversion=4.2.0 <4.2.7
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
- OSS-Fuzz 70582 reproducer testcaseproof 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
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