HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2023-7256
MEDIUM

CVE-2023-7256

CWE-415Published: August 31, 2024· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

4.4
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

In affected libpcap versions during the setup of a remote packet capture the internal function sock_initaddress() calls getaddrinfo() and possibly freeaddrinfo(), but does not clearly indicate to the caller function whether freeaddrinfo() still remains to be called after the function returns. This makes it possible in some scenarios that both the function and its caller call freeaddrinfo() for the same allocated memory block. A similar problem was reported in Apple libpcap, to which Apple assigned CVE-2023-40400.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2023-7256 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation requires high privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

A successful exploit results in availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 4.4.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.High
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

tcpdump1 product(s)
libpcap
Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttps://github.com/the-tcpdump-group/libpcap/commit/262e4f34979872d822ccedf9f318ed89c4d31c03
PATCHhttps://github.com/the-tcpdump-group/libpcap/commit/2aa69b04d8173b18a0e3492e0c8f2f7fabdf642d

All References (2)

→
https://github.com/the-tcpdump-group/libpcap/commit/262e4f34979872d822ccedf9f318ed89c4d31c03Patch
→
https://github.com/the-tcpdump-group/libpcap/commit/2aa69b04d8173b18a0e3492e0c8f2f7fabdf642dPatch

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2023-7256
CVSS Score4.4 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-415
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedAug 31, 2024

Related CVEs (CWE-415)

CVE-2018-0101
10.0
CVE-2016-6912
9.8
CVE-2017-5334
9.8
CVE-2017-1000072
9.8
CVE-2016-3177
9.8
CVE-2017-12858
9.8

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2023-7256 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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