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The CVE-2025-13499 vulnerability targets the Kafka protocol dissector in Wireshark versions 4.6.0 and 4.4.0 through 4.4.10. This dissector parses Kafka network packets for display in Wireshark. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation when handling specific Kafka message structures. Malformed packets with crafted headers or payloads trigger improper memory access, such as null pointer dereference or buffer overflow. During dissection, the dissector fails to validate fields like message size or offset, assuming correct data. When processing these malicious packets, the dissector encounters an assertion failure or segmentation fault. This crashes the Wireshark application, causing denial of service. Attackers can exploit this by injecting bad Kafka packets into traffic captured by Wireshark. The crash terminates Wireshark abruptly, disrupting network monitoring and potentially losing unsaved data. The vulnerability is critical in real-time analysis environments. Patches in later versions add bounds checks and error handling to prevent crashes. Users must upgrade to fixed releases to avoid risk.
Platform: Wireshark
Version: 4.6.0 and 4.4.0-4.4.10
Vulnerability: Kafka Dissector Crash
Severity: Medium
Date: 11/21/2025
Prediction: Patch released 11/21/2025
What Undercode Say:
Bash commands:
tshark -r malicious.pcap -Y kafka
python3 craft_kafka.py | nc target 9092
gdb –args wireshark -i eth0
Code snippets:
// Vulnerable code example
if (length) { / no validation / }
// Patched code
if (length <= 0) return;
How Exploit:
Craft malformed Kafka packets with invalid length fields. Inject into network traffic captured by Wireshark. Dissector crashes, causing denial of service.
Protection from this CVE
Update to Wireshark 4.4.11 or later. Filter untrusted Kafka traffic. Use packet filters.
Impact:
Denial of service. Wireshark crash. Loss of capture data.
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Sources:
Reported By: nvd.nist.gov
Extra Source Hub:
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