CVE-2009-1933 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Kerberos in Sun Solaris 8, 9, and 10, and OpenSolaris before snv_117, does not properly manage credential caches, which allows local users to access Kerberized NFS mount points and Kerberized NFS shares via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2009-1933 represents a critical credential management flaw within the Kerberos implementation of various Solaris operating system versions. This issue affects Sun Solaris 8, 9, and 10 releases along with OpenSolaris prior to snv_117, creating a persistent security weakness that undermines the integrity of authentication mechanisms. The flaw specifically targets how the system handles credential caches, which are essential components for maintaining secure authentication sessions within Kerberos environments. These credential caches serve as temporary storage for authentication tickets that enable users to access network services without repeatedly entering credentials.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through improper credential cache management that allows local users to gain unauthorized access to Kerberized network file system mount points and shares. This represents a privilege escalation scenario where local adversaries can leverage the flawed credential handling to bypass normal access controls and obtain elevated privileges. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that multiple attack pathways exist, potentially including direct manipulation of cache files, process injection techniques, or exploitation of race conditions during cache initialization. The vulnerability essentially enables attackers to reuse or manipulate existing Kerberos tickets without proper authentication, creating a backdoor access mechanism to network resources.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to enterprise environments that rely on Kerberized NFS services for file sharing and data access. Organizations using Solaris systems with Kerberos authentication for network file services face potential data breaches, unauthorized file access, and privilege escalation attacks that could compromise entire network infrastructures. The local nature of the attack means that even systems with strong perimeter defenses can be compromised if an attacker gains local access to a vulnerable system. This vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege and undermines the fundamental security model of Kerberos authentication, allowing attackers to access sensitive network resources without proper authorization.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control in software systems, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for phishing with social engineering. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying vendor security patches, disabling unnecessary Kerberos services, and implementing strict access controls for Kerberized NFS mounts. System administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of Kerberos configuration settings and credential cache locations, while network monitoring solutions should be configured to detect unusual access patterns to Kerberized resources. The recommended approach includes enforcing proper credential cache management policies, implementing automated patch management for Solaris systems, and establishing network segmentation to limit lateral movement capabilities for compromised systems. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should target all affected Solaris versions to ensure complete remediation of this credential management weakness.