CVE-2002-1587 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
The libthread library (libthread.so.1) for Solaris 2.5.1 through 8 allows local users to cause a denial of service (hang) of an application that uses libthread by causing the application to wait for a certain mutex.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/27/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1587 represents a critical flaw in the Solaris operating system's threading library implementation that affects versions 2.5.1 through 8. This issue resides within the libthread library, specifically the libthread.so.1 shared object file that provides multithreading capabilities to applications running on Solaris systems. The flaw manifests as a potential denial of service condition that can be exploited by local attackers who possess the ability to execute code on the target system. The vulnerability operates through a specific mechanism involving mutex operations that can cause applications utilizing the libthread library to enter an indefinite wait state, effectively hanging the application and rendering it unresponsive to further processing.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of mutex synchronization primitives within the libthread implementation. When an application makes use of mutex operations and encounters specific conditions related to thread scheduling and resource allocation, the threading library fails to properly manage the mutex state. This malfunction results in a deadlock condition where threads become indefinitely blocked waiting for a mutex that may never be released. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the fundamental threading capabilities of the operating system, meaning that any application relying on libthread for concurrent execution can potentially be brought to a halt. This behavior aligns with CWE-362, which describes concurrent execution issues that can lead to race conditions and deadlocks, and represents a classic example of improper synchronization handling in multithreaded environments.
The operational impact of CVE-2002-1587 extends beyond simple application disruption to potentially affect system stability and availability. Local users who can execute code on the system can leverage this vulnerability to target any application that utilizes the libthread library, including critical system services and user applications. This creates a significant risk for systems where multiple applications depend on threading capabilities, as a single malicious user could potentially disrupt numerous processes simultaneously. The vulnerability's exploitation requires only local access and execution privileges, making it particularly dangerous in environments where privilege escalation is possible or where users have legitimate access to system resources. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which involves network disruption through resource exhaustion, though in this case the resource exhaustion manifests as thread starvation rather than network bandwidth depletion.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability focus primarily on system updates and application-level protections. The most effective approach involves applying the appropriate security patches released by Sun Microsystems for affected Solaris versions, which address the underlying mutex handling issues in the libthread library. System administrators should prioritize patching affected systems, particularly those running critical applications that depend heavily on multithreading capabilities. Additionally, monitoring for unusual thread behavior and implementing application-level timeout mechanisms can help detect and limit the impact of exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing least privilege principles to limit local user access where possible, reducing the attack surface for this type of vulnerability. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper synchronization mechanism implementation in operating system libraries and highlights the potential for seemingly minor threading library flaws to cause widespread system availability issues.