WiresharkApplication
CVE-2014-6431
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedBuffer overflow in the SnifferDecompress function in wiretap/ngsniffer.c in the DOS Sniffer file parser in Wireshark 1.10.x before 1.10.10 and 1.12.x before 1.12.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted file that triggers writes of uncompressed bytes beyond the end of the output buffer.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceBuffer overflow in Wireshark's DOS Sniffer file parser where the SnifferDecompress function in wiretap/ngsniffer.c writes uncompressed bytes beyond the end of the output buffer when processing a crafted Sniffer-formatted file, causing a denial of service via application crash.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
WiresharkApplication
= 1.10.0= 1.10.1= 1.10.2= 1.10.3= 1.10.4= 1.10.5= 1.10.6= 1.10.7= 1.10.8= 1.10.9= 1.12.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed Wireshark versionRun 'wireshark --version' or 'tshark -v' to determine the installed versionAffected if Version is 1.10.0 through 1.10.9, or exactly 1.12.0
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Verify ngsniffer module presenceCheck for the presence of the ngsniffer.c parser module in the Wireshark installation directory or wireshark source codeAffected if The ngsniffer parser module exists in the installation
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Confirm Sniffer file parsing capabilityCheck if the Sniffer file format dissector is loaded by examining Wireshark's enabled protocols or running 'tshark -G dissectors' | grep -i snifferAffected if The Sniffer dissector/protocol is available in the installation
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Identify Sniffer file processing usageReview logs, recent captures, or automated dissection workflows for evidence of Sniffer (.sni, .cap, or similar Sniffer-format) file processingAffected if The environment processes Sniffer-formatted files using the affected Wireshark version
You are affected if Wireshark version 1.10.0-1.10.9 or 1.12.0 is installed AND the Sniffer file parser module is present and used to process Sniffer-formatted files
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpdate Wireshark to version 1.10.10 or later (for 1.10.x branches) or 1.12.1 or later (for 1.12.x branches) to patch the vulnerable SnifferDecompress function in the ngsniffer.c parser.
Fix this in Wireshark
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,376.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2014-6431 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2014-6431 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data