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Here’s a structured development task breakdown for building a Wireshark C plugin that decodes payload data by calling an external API and displays it in the packet detail tree. Project Scope Create a C-based dissector plugin for Wireshark. The plugin will: Detect packets matching a custom condition (e.g., specific IP/Port or protocol signature). Extract payload data from the packet. Send this data to an external REST API for decoding. Parse the API response and display it as hierarchical fields in the Wireshark packet detail tree. Key Technical Considerations Wireshark’s dissector thread is not designed for blocking calls — calling an API directly inside packet dissection would freeze the UI. Solution: Implement an asynchronous model : Option 1: Maintain a local cache/database pre-filled from the API. Option 2: Use a background thread to fetch API data, store in memory, and refresh the view when available. Database integration (optional) — store API results in ...