CVE-2004-2306 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
sun solaris 7 through 9 when basic security module (bsm) is enabled and the sunwscpu package has been removed as a result of security hardening disables mail alerts from the audit_warn script which might allow attackers to escape detection.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-2306 represents a critical security configuration issue within Sun Solaris 7 through 9 operating systems. This flaw occurs when the Basic Security Module (BSM) is enabled as part of the system's auditing framework, and the sunwscpu package has been removed during security hardening procedures. The BSM is a comprehensive auditing system that tracks security-relevant events and generates alerts when suspicious activities are detected. The sunwscpu package contains essential components for system monitoring and performance tracking that are integral to proper audit warning functionality. When this package is removed, it creates a cascading failure in the system's alerting mechanisms, specifically affecting the audit_warn script that is responsible for sending mail notifications about security incidents.
The technical flaw stems from the interdependency between the BSM auditing infrastructure and the sunwscpu package components. When the sunwscpu package is removed, the audit_warn script loses access to critical system resources and libraries necessary for proper mail notification functionality. This creates a silent failure mode where security events are detected by the BSM system but no alerts are generated or sent to system administrators. The vulnerability specifically affects the mail alerting capability of the audit_warn script, which operates under the principle that security incidents should trigger immediate notifications to security personnel. The removal of the sunwscpu package effectively breaks the script's ability to execute its primary function of alerting administrators about potential security breaches.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it creates a false sense of security within the system. Attackers who successfully compromise a Solaris system with BSM enabled and the sunwscpu package removed can potentially evade detection for extended periods. The system continues to log security events through BSM but fails to notify administrators of these incidents, allowing malicious activities to persist undetected. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where security monitoring is critical, such as financial institutions, government agencies, and other organizations requiring robust audit capabilities. The lack of mail alerts means that security teams remain unaware of potential breaches until they are discovered through other means, which could be significantly delayed. This creates a window of opportunity for attackers to exfiltrate data, establish persistence, or conduct further malicious activities without detection.
Security hardening practices that remove the sunwscpu package are often implemented to reduce the attack surface of systems, but this particular configuration change inadvertently creates a security gap. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of understanding interdependencies between system components when implementing security measures. Organizations implementing security hardening procedures should consider the complete impact of package removals on system monitoring and alerting capabilities. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-693, which addresses protection mechanism failures, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1070.004 for indicator of compromise, as the absence of alerts prevents detection of security incidents. Mitigation strategies should focus on maintaining proper system configuration and ensuring that all necessary components for audit warning functionality remain intact. System administrators should implement comprehensive testing procedures to verify that audit warning mechanisms function correctly after any security hardening changes, particularly when removing packages that may affect system monitoring capabilities.