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WiresharkApplication

CVE-2015-3815

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2015-05-26
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
59/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
The detect_version function in wiretap/logcat.c in the Android Logcat file parser in Wireshark 1.12.x before 1.12.5 does not check the length of the payload, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds read and application crash) via a packet with a crafted payload, as demonstrated by a length of zero, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-3906.

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 confidence

Wireshark 1.12.x before 1.12.5 contains an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in the Android Logcat file parser (wiretap/logcat.c, detect_version function). The function fails to validate payload length before accessing memory, allowing remote attackers to trigger a denial of service by sending packets with crafted payloads (e.g., zero-length payload).

MitigationUpgrade Wireshark to version 1.12.5 or later, which includes the bounds check fix in the detect_version function. Alternatively, avoid processing untrusted Android Logcap capture files until patched.

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
Affected:= 1.12.0= 1.12.1= 1.12.2= 1.12.3= 1.12.4

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Determine installed Wireshark version
    Run 'wireshark -v' from the command line or open Wireshark and go to Help > About to see the version number.
    Affected if The version displayed is 1.12.0, 1.12.1, 1.12.2, 1.12.3, or 1.12.4.
  2. Confirm the Android Logcat parser is present
    Attempt to open an Android Logcat capture file (typically .logcat) in Wireshark, or locate logcat.c in the wiretap directory of the installation.
    Affected if You can open a Logcat file, indicating the parser is active.
  3. Assess usage of Logcat files
    Review recent capture files or logs to see if Android Logcat files are being processed, especially from untrusted sources.
    Affected if You process Logcat files with a vulnerable version.

You are affected if you run Wireshark version 1.12.0-1.12.4 and process Android Logcat capture files.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade Wireshark to version 1.12.5 or later, which includes the bounds check fix in the detect_version function. Alternatively, avoid processing untrusted Android Logcap capture files until patched.

Fix this in Wireshark Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,560
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-3815 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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