# CVE-2011-1959: Memory corruption in n/a

> Remote attackers can crash Wireshark by providing a malicious snoop file with a large length value, causing a stack-based buffer over-read.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.3 (`AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 6 Jun 2011
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2011-1959, GHSA-8qfq-3vq7-6vqq

## What is CVE-2011-1959?

CVE-2011-1959 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Wireshark Wireshark, published on 6 Jun 2011. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The snoop_read function in wiretap/snoop.c in Wireshark 1.2.x before 1.2.17 and 1.4.x before 1.4.7 does not properly handle certain virtualizable buffers, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a large length value in a snoop file that triggers a stack-based buffer over-read.

Weakness: CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2011-1959?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Wireshark Wireshark.

## How do I fix CVE-2011-1959?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2011-1959 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2011-1959 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Wireshark Wireshark

- [CVE-2011-0444](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-0444/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2010-2994](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-2994/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2010-2995](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-2995/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2009-1266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-1266/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2009-1210](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-1210/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2011-1959 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2011-1959 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Wireshark Wireshark, published on 6 Jun 2011. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2011-1959 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Wireshark Wireshark. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-1959/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-1959/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2011-1959
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-1959
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2011-1959

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-1959/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.