CVE-2026-5401: Uncontrolled Recursion in Wireshark

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2026-5401?

CVE-2026-5401 has a severity rating that indicates it can lead to a denial of service due to uncontrolled recursion in the Wireshark AFP Spotlight protocol dissector.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2026-5401?

To fix CVE-2026-5401, you should upgrade Wireshark to the latest version beyond 4.6.4 or 4.4.14.

Q: Which versions of Wireshark are affected by CVE-2026-5401?

Wireshark versions 4.6.0 to 4.6.4 and 4.4.0 to 4.4.14 are affected by CVE-2026-5401.

Q: What impact does CVE-2026-5401 have on users?

Users may experience a crash of Wireshark when processing specific packets due to the uncontrolled recursion vulnerability.

Q: Is there a known exploit for CVE-2026-5401?

There is no public information indicating an active exploit for CVE-2026-5401 at this time.

Published Apr 30, 2026

Updated

AFP Spotlight protocol dissector crash in Wireshark 4.6.0 to 4.6.4 and 4.4.0 to 4.4.14 allows denial of service

Affected Software

3 affected components

Wireshark Wireshark>=4.6.0<=4.6.4, >=4.4.0<=4.4.14

Wireshark Wireshark>=4.4.0<=4.4.14

Wireshark Wireshark>=4.6.0<=4.6.4

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

Upgrade
Upgrade Wireshark to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 4.6.5

Event History

Apr 30, 2026

CVE Published

via MITRE·05:39 AM

Data Sourced

via MITRE·05:39 AM

RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeakness

Data Sourced

via NVD·07:16 AM

DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the severity of CVE-2026-5401?

CVE-2026-5401 has a severity rating that indicates it can lead to a denial of service due to uncontrolled recursion in the Wireshark AFP Spotlight protocol dissector.

How do I fix CVE-2026-5401?