Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A flaw in Wireshark’s Wi‑Fi packet parser can crash the application when it processes a specially crafted 802.11 packet. This is mainly a denial-of-service issue for analysts and systems using vulnerable Wireshark versions, not evidence of server compromise or code execution.
Executive priority
Handle through normal vulnerability management unless vulnerable Wireshark is heavily used for wireless analysis. The business impact is analyst tool disruption, not confirmed data theft or remote system takeover.
Technical view
CVE-2016-4416 affects the IEEE 802.11 dissector in Wireshark 2.x before 2.0.2. The dissector mishandles the Grouping subfield, causing a buffer over-read and application crash when parsing a crafted packet.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely where Wireshark 2.0.0 or 2.0.1 is used to inspect Wi‑Fi traffic or open untrusted 802.11 capture files. Systems not running vulnerable Wireshark builds are not indicated as affected by the provided sources.
Exploitation context
The attacker must get a crafted 802.11 packet processed by vulnerable Wireshark. Sources describe denial of service through application crash. There is no KEV listing and no provided source confirms active exploitation.
Researcher notes
The public record identifies a buffer over-read in epan/dissectors/packet-ieee80211.c involving the Grouping subfield. The available sources do not provide CVSS, CWE, exploit-in-the-wild evidence, or broader affected product claims.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Wireshark to version 2.0.2 or later.
- Avoid opening untrusted 802.11 capture files until upgraded.
- Follow Wireshark’s security advisory for version-specific guidance.
Validation and detection
- Inventory installed Wireshark versions across analyst workstations and capture systems.
- Confirm Wireshark is not version 2.0.0 or 2.0.1.
- Identify workflows that inspect wireless captures or live 802.11 traffic.
- Review crash reports involving Wireshark 802.11 packet analysis.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-2016-4416 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://bugs.wireshark.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=11818CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://www.wireshark.org/security/wnpa-sec-2016-13.htmlCVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.