CVE-2011-1957: The dissect_dcm_main function in epan/dissectors/packet-dcm.c in the DICOM dissector in Wireshark 1.2.x bef...

Security readout for executives and security teams

CVE-2011-1957 is an old Wireshark denial-of-service flaw in its DICOM packet parser. A specially malformed DICOM packet can make vulnerable Wireshark versions hang in an infinite loop. This affects packet analysis availability, not data confidentiality or system takeover, based on the provided sources. Exposure is most likely on analyst workstations, monitoring systems, or servers running vulnerable Wireshark or related packages that parse DICOM captures or live traffic. Organizations handling medical imaging network traffic have the most relevant operational exposure. Treat this as a targeted reliability risk for security and healthcare network analysis, not a broad enterprise compromise scenario. Patch during normal vulnerability maintenance, faster where DICOM traffic analysis is routine or operationally important. Mitigation focus: Upgrade Wireshark beyond 1.2.16 or 1.4.6, using vendor-supported packages.; Prioritize upgrades on systems analyzing DICOM or healthcare imaging traffic.; Review Debian, Fedora, and Wireshark advisories for package-specific fixes..

Prepared

Jun 28, 2026, 00:52 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.