CVE-2026-76884 Overview
CVE-2026-76884 is a denial-of-service vulnerability in the Wireshark Extensible Record Format (ERF) file parser. The flaw affects Wireshark versions 4.6.0 through 4.6.7 and 4.4.0 through 4.4.18. A malformed ERF capture file can crash the parser when opened for analysis. The issue is tracked under CWE-126: Buffer Over-read and is described in Wireshark Security Advisory WNPA-SEC-2026-72.
Critical Impact
An attacker who convinces an analyst to open a crafted ERF file can crash Wireshark, disrupting packet analysis workflows and incident response operations.
Affected Products
- Wireshark 4.6.0 through 4.6.7
- Wireshark 4.4.0 through 4.4.18
- Systems using the ERF file parser component
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-08-19 - CVE-2026-76884 published to NVD
- 2026-08-20 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-76884
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the Wireshark ERF file parser. Parsing a malformed ERF capture file triggers a crash, resulting in a denial-of-service condition. The issue is categorized as CWE-126: Buffer Over-read, indicating the parser reads beyond the intended memory boundary of a buffer during processing.
Exploitation requires user interaction. An analyst must open the malicious ERF file within an affected Wireshark version. Because the attack vector is classified as network, the crafted file could be delivered via email, shared network storage, or a compromised capture repository.
The impact is limited to availability. Confidentiality and integrity are not affected, and no code execution primitive has been identified. Attack complexity is high, which reflects the specific conditions needed to reliably trigger the crash.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper bounds validation when parsing fields in an ERF record. The parser dereferences memory beyond the allocated buffer while processing malformed structural fields, causing the application to terminate abnormally. Refer to GitLab Work Item #21415 for the upstream tracking record.
Attack Vector
An attacker crafts an ERF file containing malformed record fields that trigger the over-read. The file is delivered to a target analyst. When the analyst opens the file in a vulnerable Wireshark build, the parser crashes and the session terminates. No authentication or elevated privileges are required on the target system.
No public exploit or proof-of-concept has been published for CVE-2026-76884 at the time of publication. Consult the Wireshark Security Advisory WNPA-SEC-2026-72 for additional technical detail.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-76884
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected Wireshark process crashes correlated with opening ERF capture files
- ERF files received from untrusted sources or unusual delivery channels
- Crash dumps referencing the ERF dissector or file reader modules
Detection Strategies
- Inventory endpoints running Wireshark 4.6.0 to 4.6.7 or 4.4.0 to 4.4.18 and flag them for patching
- Monitor for crash telemetry from the wireshark and tshark processes on analyst workstations
- Inspect email and file share gateways for ERF attachments arriving from external senders
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable application crash logging on analyst workstations and forward events to a central SIEM
- Correlate Wireshark process termination events with recent file open activity for triage
- Track version compliance of Wireshark installations across the fleet through software inventory tooling
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-76884
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade Wireshark to a fixed release as identified in WNPA-SEC-2026-72
- Instruct analysts to avoid opening ERF files received from untrusted sources until patches are applied
- Isolate malware analysis and forensic workstations from user email to reduce delivery paths for malicious capture files
Patch Information
The Wireshark Foundation has addressed the issue in versions above 4.6.7 in the 4.6.x branch and above 4.4.18 in the 4.4.x branch. Refer to Wireshark Security Advisory WNPA-SEC-2026-72 and GitLab Work Item #21415 for exact fixed versions and commit references.
Workarounds
- Open untrusted ERF captures only inside isolated virtual machines or sandboxed analyst environments
- Restrict ERF file handling to dedicated forensic hosts that can be quickly rebuilt after a crash
- Block or quarantine ERF attachments at the mail gateway pending patch deployment
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
