Critical TCP Dissector Crash in Wireshark: CVE-2018-9258

wireshark Updated 02 Oct 2025

Summary

04/04/2018

Disclosed on

N/A

Severity

Yes i

Fix available

High

Severity

7.5

CVSS Score

ALPINE-CVE-2018-9258: In Wireshark 2.4.0 to 2.4.5, the TCP dissector could crash. This was addressed in epan/dissectors/packet-tcp.c by preserving valid data sources. Affects wireshark versions < 2.2.14-r0. Fixed in 2.2.14-r0. How to fix ↓

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Background

Wireshark is a widely-used network protocol analyzer that allows users to capture and interactively browse the traffic running on a computer network. It is essential for network troubleshooting, analysis, software and communications protocol development, and education. The package is known for its extensive protocol support and powerful analysis capabilities. However, versions 2.4.0 to 2.4.5 of Wireshark contain a vulnerability that could lead to a crash when processing TCP packets.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-9258 affects the TCP dissector in Wireshark versions 2.4.0 through 2.4.5. It arises from improper handling of certain TCP packets, which can lead to a crash of the application. This issue can be exploited by an attacker sending specially crafted TCP packets, potentially leading to denial of service. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 7.5, indicating a high severity level, and it was addressed in the source code by preserving valid data sources in the TCP dissector.

How To Fix

Minimum fixed version

2.2.14-r0

This is the first release that contains the fix.

sudo apk add --upgrade wireshark

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Workaround

As a temporary workaround, users can avoid processing untrusted TCP packets until the software is updated. This may involve filtering incoming traffic or using alternative methods to analyze network traffic.

Conclusion

CVE-2018-9258 is a significant vulnerability in Wireshark that can lead to application crashes when processing specific TCP packets. Users are strongly advised to update to the latest version to mitigate this risk. For those unable to update immediately, implementing workarounds can help reduce exposure to potential attacks.

See every vulnerability recorded for wireshark →