CVE-2007-5367 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Virtual File System (VFS) in Sun Solaris 10 allows local users to cause a denial of service (kernel memory consumption) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-5367 represents a critical weakness within the Virtual File System implementation of Sun Solaris 10 operating system. This flaw exists within the kernel-level VFS subsystem which serves as the foundational interface for file system operations across the system. The vulnerability specifically enables local authenticated users to manipulate kernel memory consumption patterns in ways that can lead to system instability and denial of service conditions. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple pathways exist within the VFS implementation that could be exploited to trigger the memory consumption behavior. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of kernel-level memory management issues that can have cascading effects on system performance and availability. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it operates at the kernel level where local users already possess significant privileges, making the exploitation relatively straightforward compared to remote attacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves manipulating file system operations through the VFS layer to cause abnormal memory allocation patterns within the kernel space. When local users execute specific file operations or access patterns, the kernel's memory management routines become overwhelmed with requests that consume excessive memory resources. This memory consumption typically manifests as gradual or sudden increases in kernel memory usage that can eventually lead to system resource exhaustion. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation and memory handling within the VFS implementation, where the system fails to properly constrain or limit memory allocation requests from user-space processes. The lack of adequate bounds checking and resource limiting mechanisms within the kernel's file system abstraction layer creates opportunities for malicious or unintended behavior that impacts system stability. This flaw aligns with common software security weaknesses documented in CWE-129 and CWE-131 categories, which address improper input validation and memory handling issues respectively.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-5367 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially compromise system availability and performance for legitimate users. When the kernel memory consumption reaches critical levels, the system may experience severe performance degradation, application crashes, or complete system hang conditions. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where Solaris 10 systems serve as critical infrastructure components, as the denial of service could impact business operations and data availability. The local nature of the attack means that any user with login access to the system could potentially trigger the vulnerability, making it a significant concern for system administrators who must ensure proper access controls and user management. Additionally, the memory consumption behavior could be exploited in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to create more sophisticated attack vectors that might escalate privileges or cause additional system instability.
System administrators should implement immediate mitigations including applying the appropriate security patches released by Sun Microsystems to address this vulnerability. The patching process requires careful planning and testing to ensure that updates do not introduce compatibility issues with existing applications or system configurations. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring solutions to detect unusual memory consumption patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Access control measures should be strengthened to limit local user privileges where possible, and regular security audits should be conducted to identify potential exploitation vectors. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date kernel security patches and implementing comprehensive system hardening procedures. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and denial of service through kernel manipulation, representing a significant threat to system integrity and availability. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability could be leveraged in broader attack campaigns targeting enterprise systems.