CVE-1999-1014 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in mail command in Solaris 2.7 and 2.7 allows local users to gain privileges via a long -m argument.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/31/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-1999-1014 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the mail command implementation of Solaris 2.7 operating systems. This issue specifically manifests when processing the -m argument, which is designed to specify the mailer program to be used for sending messages. The flaw exists in the command line argument parsing mechanism where insufficient bounds checking is performed on user-provided input, allowing maliciously crafted arguments to exceed the allocated buffer space. The vulnerability is classified as a local privilege escalation vector since it enables attackers with local system access to potentially elevate their privileges to root level. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and falls under the broader category of CWE-787, representing out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities. The attack surface is particularly concerning as it leverages the mail command, a commonly used system utility that typically runs with elevated privileges to ensure proper mail delivery functionality.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires local system access and involves crafting a specially formatted -m argument that exceeds the buffer capacity allocated for argument handling within the mail command. When the system processes this malformed argument, the excess data overflows into adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting critical program state information or even allowing code execution in memory. The buffer overflow occurs during the argument parsing phase where the system does not validate the length of the -m parameter against the maximum buffer size. This condition creates a scenario where attackers can overwrite return addresses, function pointers, or other critical control data structures within the program stack. The exploitation mechanism aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers 'Local Privilege Escalation', and more specifically with T1068.001, 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation'. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic buffer overflow pattern where insufficient input validation leads to memory corruption that can be leveraged for privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to potentially compromise the entire system integrity and confidentiality. Local users who can execute commands on the system gain the capability to elevate their privileges to root access, which provides complete control over system resources, file access, and network operations. This vulnerability represents a significant risk for multi-user systems where local access might be obtained through legitimate means such as shared accounts, compromised user credentials, or social engineering attacks. The affected Solaris 2.7 systems are particularly vulnerable as they lack proper input validation mechanisms that would prevent the buffer overflow condition from occurring. The implications for enterprise environments are severe since such vulnerabilities can be exploited to establish persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, or disable system security controls. Organizations running these older Solaris versions face substantial risk if they do not implement immediate mitigations, as the vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors that require minimal privileges to initiate.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-1999-1014 should focus on both immediate patching and operational security measures. The most effective solution involves applying the official Solaris patches released by sun to address the buffer overflow in the mail command implementation. System administrators should also implement input validation controls at the application level, ensuring that all command line arguments are properly bounded before processing. Network segmentation and privilege separation can help limit the potential impact if exploitation occurs, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous mail command usage patterns. Additional protective measures include disabling unnecessary mail command functionality, implementing mandatory access controls, and conducting regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar buffer overflow conditions in other system utilities. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of secure coding practices, particularly around input validation and memory management, which are fundamental requirements of secure software development lifecycle processes. Organizations should also consider implementing the principle of least privilege to minimize the potential damage from such local privilege escalation vulnerabilities.