WiresharkApplication
CVE-2016-2521
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 · uneditedUntrusted search path vulnerability in the WiresharkApplication class in ui/qt/wireshark_application.cpp in Wireshark 1.12.x before 1.12.10 and 2.0.x before 2.0.2 on Windows allows local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse riched20.dll.dll file in the current working directory, related to use of QLibrary.
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 confidenceThis is a DLL hijacking vulnerability in Wireshark on Windows where the WiresharkApplication class uses QLibrary to load the riched20.dll library from the current working directory instead of secure system directories, allowing local attackers to execute arbitrary code by placing a malicious DLL (riched20.dll.dll) in the directory from which Wireshark is launched.
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
= 1.12.0= 1.12.1= 1.12.2= 1.12.3= 1.12.4= 1.12.5= 1.12.6= 1.12.7= 1.12.8= 1.12.9= 2.0.0= 2.0.1CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 Wireshark version on WindowsOpen Command Prompt or PowerShell and run: wireshark --version (or Help > About Wireshark in the GUI). Note the version number displayed.Affected if The version is 1.12.0 through 1.12.9, or 2.0.0 or 2.0.1. Versions 1.12.10+, 2.0.2+, or 1.12.x before 1.12.0 are not affected.
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Confirm operating system is WindowsVerify the system is running Windows. This vulnerability only affects Wireshark on Windows platforms, not Linux or macOS.Affected if The operating system is Windows and the Wireshark version matches the affected ranges.
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Identify Wireshark launch locationCheck the directory from which Wireshark is typically launched. Open Command Prompt, navigate to a directory, and run Wireshark from that location. Use 'cd' to display the current working directory before launching.Affected if Wireshark is launched from directories where untrusted users could place files, such as shared network drives, download folders, or desktop directories.
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Inspect for suspicious riched20.dllCheck the Wireshark launch directory for any unexpected files named riched20.dll or riched20.dll.dll. Use Command Prompt: dir riched20.dll*Affected if A file named riched20.dll exists in the directory from which Wireshark is launched, indicating potential DLL hijacking attempt.
You are affected if running Wireshark version 1.12.0-1.12.9, 2.0.0, or 2.0.1 on Windows, particularly if launched from directories where untrusted parties could place malicious DLL 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 1.12.10 or later (1.12.x series) or 2.0.2 or later (2.0.x series). Avoid launching Wireshark from untrusted or shared directories as a workaround.
Fix this in Wireshark
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 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 $2,480.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-2521 — 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-2016-2521 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
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