CVE-2007-3471 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the dtsession Common Desktop Environment (CDE) Session Manager in Sun Solaris 8, 9, and 10 allows local users to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-3471 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the dtsession component of Sun Solaris CDE Session Manager across versions 8, 9, and 10. This issue resides within the Common Desktop Environment framework that provides graphical user interfaces for solaris systems. The buffer overflow occurs in the session management functionality that handles desktop environment sessions, making it a particularly dangerous vulnerability since it operates within the core desktop infrastructure. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by its local privilege escalation nature, meaning that an attacker with local access can leverage this flaw to gain elevated system privileges and execute arbitrary code with the same permissions as the target process.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the dtsession application. When processing certain input parameters or session-related data, the application fails to properly bounds-check buffer allocations, allowing attackers to overwrite adjacent memory regions. This memory corruption can be strategically exploited to overwrite return addresses, function pointers, or other critical control data structures within the program's execution context. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that multiple attack pathways may exist, potentially including malformed session parameters, specific command line arguments, or crafted environment variables that trigger the vulnerable code path. This lack of specificity in attack vectors makes the vulnerability particularly challenging to defend against and increases its potential for exploitation across various operational scenarios.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability poses significant risks to solaris systems running affected CDE versions, particularly in enterprise environments where desktop environments are widely deployed. The local execution requirement means that attackers must first gain access to a system through other means, such as legitimate user accounts or compromised services, before they can leverage this specific vulnerability. However, the privilege escalation aspect makes the impact devastating once exploited, as the successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's presence in multiple solaris versions creates a widespread risk profile, affecting organizations that have not yet migrated to newer system versions or patched their existing installations. Security teams must consider this vulnerability as part of their comprehensive assessment of desktop environment security, particularly in environments where CDE is actively used.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-3471 primarily focus on system updates and patch management, as the most effective solution involves applying the vendor-provided security patches that address the underlying buffer overflow conditions. Organizations should prioritize patching affected solaris systems, especially those running CDE Session Manager components, and consider implementing additional security controls such as privilege separation and access controls to limit potential exploitation. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows memory corruption, and may also relate to ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation through exploitation of system vulnerabilities. System administrators should also implement monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing buffer overflow vulnerabilities in desktop environments. Given the age of this vulnerability, organizations should also consider migrating away from CDE to more modern desktop environments that have better security track records and active support for security updates.