Description
Due to a bug in packet data buffers management, the PPP printer in tcpdump can enter an infinite loop when reading a crafted DLT_PPP_SERIAL .pcap savefile. This problem does not affect any tcpdump release, but it affected the git master branch from 2023-06-05 to 2024-03-21.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Tcpdump Group | tcpdump | — | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | tcpdump | 4.99.5-1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2024:14305-1 |
Advisories 2
- openSUSE-SU-2024:14305-1 tcpdump-4.99.5-1.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- WID-SEC-2024-0859 tcpdump: Schwachstelle ermöglicht Denial of Service BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · May 5, 2024
References
- https://github.com/the-tcpdump-group/tcpdump/commit/b9811ef5bb1b7d45a90e042f81f3aaf233c8bcb2 patch
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/GEZRGR3QCW2ZNFIAWMZZOG4ZLFLFNG2M/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/HUUI2MBVHFENXNBCHDQZP2RBBA2VD5HG/