CVE-2005-2072 in solaris
Summary
by MITRE
the runtime linker (ld.so) in solaris 8 9 and 10 trusts the ld_audit environment variable in setuid or setgid programs which allows local users to gain privileges by (1) modifying ld_audit to reference malicious code and possibly (2) using a long value for ld_audit.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-2072 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw in the runtime linker implementation of solaris operating systems version 8, 9, and 10. This issue stems from the improper handling of the ld_audit environment variable within setuid and setgid programs, creating a pathway for local attackers to elevate their privileges. The runtime linker ld.so in these solaris versions fails to properly validate or sanitize the ld_audit environment variable, which is typically used to specify audit libraries that monitor program execution. When a setuid or setgid program executes, the system loads the specified audit library, but due to this vulnerability, malicious code can be loaded and executed with elevated privileges.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through two primary methods that align with common attack patterns documented in the attack tactic framework. First attackers can modify the ld_audit environment variable to point to malicious shared libraries that will be loaded when setuid/setgid programs execute. This creates a direct code execution vector where the malicious library can perform arbitrary operations with the privileges of the target program. Second, attackers can leverage the use of long values for the ld_audit variable to potentially trigger buffer overflow conditions or memory corruption issues that could be exploited to gain further control over the system. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-276 as improper privilege management and specifically relates to CWE-78 as improper neutralization of special elements used in OS commands.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows local users to bypass the normal privilege separation mechanisms that protect critical system resources. When setuid/setgid programs execute with elevated privileges, the attacker can effectively gain the same privileges as those programs, potentially allowing access to sensitive system files, network resources, or the ability to modify system configurations. This vulnerability affects the fundamental security model of the operating system since it undermines the trust boundary between normal user processes and privileged system operations. The impact is particularly concerning because setuid programs are commonly used for system administration tasks, making the attack surface quite broad.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate system hardening and administrative controls. System administrators should immediately apply the vendor patches released for solaris 8, 9, and 10 that address this specific issue by implementing proper validation of the ld_audit environment variable. Additionally, organizations should audit their systems to identify and disable unnecessary setuid/setgid programs that do not require elevated privileges. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by ensuring that only essential programs maintain setuid/setgid permissions. Network security controls should also be implemented to monitor for suspicious ld_audit environment variable usage patterns. Organizations should consider implementing runtime application control measures and regular security assessments to detect potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper environment variable handling in security-sensitive contexts and aligns with attack techniques documented in the attack pattern taxonomy for privilege escalation through library injection methods.