CVE-2008-1317 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Inter-Process Communication (IPC) message queue subsystem in Sun Solaris 10 allows local users to cause a denial of service (reboot) via blocked I/O message queues.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/31/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1317 resides within the Inter-Process Communication IPC message queue subsystem of Sun Solaris 10 operating system. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that affects the fundamental messaging infrastructure used by applications to communicate with each other across process boundaries. The vulnerability specifically manifests when I/O message queues become blocked, creating a condition that can be exploited by local users to trigger system-wide denial of service. Such a scenario represents a significant threat to system availability and operational continuity within enterprise environments where Solaris 10 remains deployed. The issue stems from inadequate handling of message queue states and their interaction with the underlying kernel mechanisms that manage process communication.
From a technical perspective, the vulnerability exploits weaknesses in how the Solaris kernel manages message queue resources when I/O operations become blocked or stalled. The IPC subsystem maintains message queues to facilitate communication between processes, but when these queues encounter specific blocking conditions during I/O operations, the kernel fails to properly handle the resource state transitions. This failure creates a condition where the system becomes unresponsive to further I/O operations and ultimately forces a system reboot as a recovery mechanism. The root cause lies in the kernel's inability to gracefully recover from blocked message queue states without resorting to complete system restarts. This behavior aligns with CWE-121, which addresses heap-based buffer overflow conditions, though the specific manifestation here involves resource state management rather than memory corruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass complete system unavailability. Local users with minimal privileges can exploit this weakness to force system reboots, effectively creating a denial of service condition that can be particularly devastating in mission-critical environments. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires only local access, meaning that any user with login privileges on the affected system can potentially trigger the vulnerability. This characteristic makes the exploit highly accessible and dangerous in multi-user environments where privilege escalation may not be necessary. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to disrupt system operations without requiring elevated permissions, making it a significant concern for system administrators managing Solaris 10 deployments.
Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability in the context of the broader ATT&CK framework, specifically under the defense evasion and privilege escalation categories where local users can leverage system weaknesses to achieve unauthorized system control. The vulnerability's impact aligns with ATT&CK technique T1490, which covers exploitation of weaknesses in the system to cause denial of service. Mitigation strategies should include implementing proper kernel patching and system updates as provided by Oracle, monitoring for unusual message queue behavior, and establishing process isolation mechanisms to limit the potential impact of such exploits. System administrators should also consider implementing access controls and privilege separation to reduce the attack surface available to local users. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date system patches and the potential consequences of neglecting kernel-level security updates in enterprise environments.