CVE-2008-0730 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
The (1) Simplified Chinese, (2) Traditional Chinese, (3) Korean, and (4) Thai language input methods in Sun Solaris 10 create files and directories with weak permissions under (a) .iiim/le and (b) .Xlocale in home directories, which might allow local users to write to, or read from, the home directories of other users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/01/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-0730 represents a significant privilege escalation risk within Sun Solaris 10 operating systems, specifically affecting internationalization features that handle multiple language input methods. This issue manifests through the improper permission settings applied to locale-specific configuration files and directories created by the system's input method frameworks. The affected components include the Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, and Thai language input methods, which are part of the X Window System's internationalization infrastructure. These input methods utilize the iiim (Input Method Manager) framework and create persistent configuration data in user home directories under the .iiim/le and .Xlocale directory structures, creating a persistent attack surface for local privilege escalation.
The technical flaw stems from the creation of files and directories with overly permissive access controls, specifically allowing world-readable and world-writable permissions that should be restricted to the owning user. When these internationalization components initialize or operate, they generate configuration files that do not properly enforce user-specific access controls, creating a scenario where local users can potentially access or modify files belonging to other users within their respective home directories. This permission misconfiguration directly violates security principles of least privilege and proper access control enforcement, allowing unauthorized file access and modification across user boundaries. The vulnerability specifically impacts the .iiim/le and .Xlocale directories, which are used to store input method configuration data and locale-specific settings that persist between sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates a persistent backdoor for local attackers to escalate privileges and access sensitive user data. An attacker with local access can exploit this weakness to read configuration files that may contain user-specific settings, authentication tokens, or other sensitive information that could be leveraged for further attacks. Additionally, the ability to write to these configuration files could allow an attacker to inject malicious code or modify system behavior, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects all users on the system, as any local user can potentially exploit this weakness to access other users' files, creating a systemic security risk that undermines the fundamental security model of multi-user operating systems.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource, which specifically addresses situations where critical system resources are created with incorrect permissions that allow unauthorized access. The attack pattern follows typical local privilege escalation techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1068: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, where attackers leverage system weaknesses to gain elevated access. The weakness represents a failure in proper privilege separation and access control enforcement within the X Window System's internationalization infrastructure, which should have implemented proper file permission controls during the creation of user-specific configuration data. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including proper file permission enforcement for locale-specific configuration files, regular security auditing of user home directory permissions, and system updates to address the underlying input method framework vulnerabilities. The issue also highlights the importance of secure coding practices in internationalization components and proper implementation of access control mechanisms in multi-user environments.