CVE-2002-1586 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Solaris 2.5.1 through 9 allows local users to cause a denial of service (kernel panic) by setting the sd_struiowrq variable in the struioget function to null, which triggers a null dereference.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/27/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-1586 represents a critical kernel-level flaw affecting Solaris operating systems version 2.5.1 through 9. This issue manifests as a local privilege escalation vulnerability that can be exploited to trigger a system-wide denial of service condition through a kernel panic. The vulnerability specifically targets the streaming I/O (struioget) function within the Solaris kernel, which handles certain types of I/O operations for streaming devices. When an attacker with local access manipulates the sd_struiowrq variable to a null value, the system encounters a null pointer dereference that leads to an immediate kernel crash and subsequent system panic.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in insufficient input validation and null pointer checks within the kernel's streaming I/O handling code. According to CWE-476, this vulnerability falls under the category of null pointer dereference, where the system fails to properly validate that a pointer contains a valid memory address before attempting to access it. The flaw exists in the struioget function implementation, which does not adequately verify the state of the sd_struiowrq variable before using it in kernel operations. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the kernel level, where any improper memory access can result in complete system compromise rather than just application-level failures.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to Solaris systems as it allows local users to cause system-wide outages without requiring elevated privileges. The attack vector is relatively straightforward since it only requires local access to the system, making it accessible to users who have basic login credentials or physical access. The impact of exploitation results in immediate kernel panics that force system administrators to perform manual restarts and potentially lose unsaved data. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001, which covers network denial of service attacks, though in this case the attack is executed locally rather than over a network. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple Solaris versions from 2.5.1 to 9 indicates a long-standing code issue that was not properly addressed in the kernel's I/O subsystem implementation.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve applying the appropriate security patches and updates released by Sun Microsystems for affected Solaris versions. System administrators should prioritize patch deployment to ensure that all affected systems receive the necessary kernel updates that correct the null pointer dereference in the struioget function. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and limiting local user privileges can help reduce the attack surface, although this does not prevent exploitation by users who already have local access. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of thorough input validation in kernel code and highlights the critical need for comprehensive testing of system components that handle I/O operations. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect kernel panics and system instability that may indicate exploitation attempts, as well as maintaining robust backup and recovery procedures to minimize downtime from such incidents.