CVE-2006-6275 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Race condition in the kernel in Sun Solaris 8 through 10 allows local users to cause a denial of service (panic) via unspecified vectors, possibly related to the exitlwps function and SIGKILL and /proc PCAGENT signals.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-6275 represents a critical race condition within the kernel of Sun Solaris operating systems versions 8 through 10. This fundamental flaw exists in the kernel's handling of process management operations and specifically involves the exitlwps function which manages the termination of lightweight processes. The race condition occurs when multiple concurrent operations attempt to access and modify shared kernel data structures without proper synchronization mechanisms, creating a scenario where the system's integrity can be compromised through carefully orchestrated timing attacks. The vulnerability manifests when local users exploit this timing issue to trigger kernel panics, effectively causing system-wide denial of service conditions that can bring entire systems to a halt.
The technical implementation of this race condition involves the interaction between the exitlwps function and specific signal handling mechanisms within the Solaris kernel. When processes attempt to terminate or are terminated by SIGKILL signals, the kernel must coordinate between multiple threads and processes that may be simultaneously accessing the same memory regions or process control structures. The PCAGENT signals, which are used for process control and debugging operations, further compound the complexity of this race condition by introducing additional pathways through which conflicting access patterns can occur. The underlying issue stems from insufficient locking mechanisms and atomic operations when managing the lifecycle of lightweight processes, allowing for situations where kernel memory structures become corrupted or inconsistent during process termination sequences. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-362 category of "Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization" and demonstrates the classic symptoms of race conditions in kernel space operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2006-6275 extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially compromising system stability and availability in production environments. Local attackers who can successfully exploit this vulnerability can cause kernel panics that result in immediate system crashes and require manual intervention for recovery. In enterprise environments where Solaris systems may be running critical services, such attacks can lead to significant downtime and service disruption. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires minimal privileges to exploit, as local users already possess the necessary permissions to trigger the conditions that lead to the race condition. The timing aspect of this vulnerability makes it difficult to detect and prevent through traditional security monitoring approaches, as the race condition may only manifest under specific load conditions or timing scenarios that are hard to reproduce consistently in controlled environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-6275 focus primarily on applying vendor-provided patches and updates that address the underlying race condition in the kernel's process management code. System administrators should immediately apply the security patches released by Sun Microsystems for Solaris 8 through 10 versions, which include proper synchronization mechanisms and atomic operations to prevent the conflicting access patterns that lead to the race condition. Additionally, implementing proper system hardening measures such as restricting local user privileges where possible, monitoring for unusual process termination patterns, and maintaining regular system updates can help reduce the attack surface. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of kernel-level security testing and the need for rigorous code review processes when handling concurrent access to shared resources. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can monitor for anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, as the timing-sensitive nature of this vulnerability makes it particularly challenging to detect through conventional security controls. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a system service denial of service technique, where adversaries leverage kernel-level vulnerabilities to disrupt system availability and maintain persistent access to compromised systems.