Wireshark 4.6.2 released
There's an important update for users of the popular network protocol analyzer Wireshark. Version 4.6.2 is now available.
Wireshark serves many roles; it's used by professionals and hobbyists alike for tasks ranging from troubleshooting network issues to analyzing traffic patterns, developing new systems or applications, and even teaching network concepts. It's a key tool developed as a nonprofit project under the Wireshark Foundation, whose success depends entirely on community contributions.
This latest release focuses primarily on fixing compatibility problems that arose following API/ABI adjustments in prior updates. The most significant fix related to Issue 20881, which resolves problems with plugins originally designed for Wireshark 4.6.0. Security has also been addressed; patches were applied for vulnerabilities tracked as wnpa-sec-2025-07 and wnpa-sec-2025-08.
On the feature front, while this update doesn't introduce new protocols to capture, it does bring valuable updates to existing ones. Many common protocols now have improved dissectors in Wireshark 4.6.2, including ATM PW, COSEM, COTP, DECT NR+, DMP, Fc00, GTP, HTTP3, IEEE 802.15.4, ISIS HELLO, ISOBUS, MAC-LTE, MAUSB, MEGACO, MPEG DSM-CC, OsmoTRXD, PTP, RLC, SAPDIAG, and SMTP.
Additionally, this version updates the Windows installers to bundle the Visual C++ Redistributable 14.44.35112. This ensures a smoother experience for users installing Wireshark on their machines. The release also benefits from insights gained during its development cycle. Features added in previous versions like 4.6.0 and 4.6.1, such as improved live capture handling or enhancements for dissecting process data with tcpdump on macOS, naturally evolved into these updates.
To get started with Wireshark, you can download the source code and installation packages from this location. The Wireshark community is always eager to welcome new contributors and enthusiasts, so don't be afraid to join in on the fun!
