Wireshark’s FMP/NOTIFY protocol dissector does not validate input that controls a loop condition; when a packet containing malformed data is parsed, the loop does not terminate correctly and the application crashes. The flaw is identified as CWE-606 and CWE-1286, reflecting improper input validation and unvalidated loop termination. The result is a denial‑of‑service effect because Wireshark becomes unavailable when the crash occurs, but no code execution or privilege escalation is achieved.

All releases of Wireshark from version 4.4.0 through 4.4.16 and from 4.6.0 through 4.6.6 are affected. The vulnerability solely impacts the Wireshark application on the host that performs the dissection; network infrastructure or other system components remain unaffected.

The vulnerability receives a CVSS score of 5.5, indicating medium severity. Its EPSS score is 0.00122 (0.122%), indicating a low but non‑zero likelihood of exploitation, and it is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. Attackers can trigger the issue by supplying a crafted packet or pcap file to Wireshark; this local exploit requires the attacker to have the ability to redirect traffic or provide files to the target machine. The attack does not grant elevated privileges or remote code execution, but it does compromise the availability of the network‑analysis tool.