CVE-2008-2090 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the SCTP protocol implementation in Sun Solaris 10 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption and network traffic amplification) via a crafted SCTP packet.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-2090 represents a critical flaw in the Stream Control Transmission Protocol implementation within Sun Solaris 10 operating systems. This issue falls under the broader category of protocol implementation weaknesses that can be exploited to compromise system availability and network performance. The SCTP protocol, designed to provide reliable message-oriented communication over IP networks, suffers from a specific implementation defect that enables malicious actors to manipulate system resources through carefully crafted packet structures. The vulnerability specifically targets the handling of SCTP packets within the Solaris 10 kernel, creating a pathway for remote exploitation without requiring authentication or privileged access.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper validation and processing of SCTP packet headers and control information within the Solaris 10 network stack. When the system receives a malformed SCTP packet, the protocol implementation fails to properly handle the packet structure, leading to excessive CPU utilization as the kernel attempts to process the malformed data. This flaw creates a condition where the system's processing resources become consumed in an infinite loop or excessive processing cycles, effectively rendering the affected system unable to handle legitimate network traffic. The vulnerability also enables network traffic amplification, where a small number of malicious packets can generate significantly larger amounts of network traffic, further degrading system performance and network availability.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-2090 extends beyond simple system unavailability, creating cascading effects that can disrupt entire network services and applications. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to consume CPU cycles continuously, potentially causing system crashes or severe performance degradation that affects critical business operations. Network traffic amplification aspects of the vulnerability can overwhelm network bandwidth, creating denial of service conditions that extend beyond individual systems to affect entire network segments. The remote nature of the attack means that systems can be compromised from anywhere on the network, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Solaris 10 systems may be exposed to untrusted network traffic.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-122, which addresses buffer overflow conditions in protocol implementations, and demonstrates the broader category of protocol-based attacks that fall under the ATT&CK framework's T1498 technique for network denial of service. The flaw represents a classic example of how protocol implementation errors can create security weaknesses that bypass traditional authentication mechanisms and exploit fundamental network stack operations. Organizations running Solaris 10 systems are particularly vulnerable since this implementation flaw existed in widely deployed versions of the operating system, making it a prime target for exploitation. The impact is compounded by the fact that SCTP is often used in mission-critical applications such as telecommunications signaling, financial transactions, and industrial control systems where availability is paramount.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-2090 should focus on immediate patching of affected Solaris 10 systems through official Oracle security updates. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to untrusted traffic, particularly in environments where SCTP traffic is not required. Network monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect unusual traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, including sudden spikes in CPU utilization or unexpected network traffic volumes. System administrators should consider disabling SCTP support entirely if the protocol is not required for business operations, reducing the attack surface and eliminating the vulnerability. Additionally, implementing rate limiting and packet filtering rules at network boundaries can help mitigate the amplification effects of the vulnerability, though these measures provide only partial protection compared to proper patching and system updates.