CVE-2009-2136 in OpenSolaris
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the TCP/IP networking stack in Sun Solaris 10, and OpenSolaris snv_01 through snv_82 and snv_111 through snv_117, when a Cassini GigaSwift Ethernet Adapter (aka CE) interface is used, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (panic) via vectors involving jumbo frames.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2009-2136 represents a critical flaw within the TCP/IP networking stack of Sun Solaris operating systems, specifically affecting versions 10 and various OpenSolaris snapshots ranging from snv_01 through snv_82 and snv_111 through snv_117. This issue manifests when utilizing Cassini GigaSwift Ethernet Adapter interfaces, which are high-performance network interface cards designed for enterprise environments. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level within the networking subsystem, where improper handling of network packet processing creates a condition that can be exploited by remote attackers to trigger system instability.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient validation and processing of jumbo frames within the network driver implementation for the Cassini GigaSwift Ethernet Adapter. Jumbo frames are network packets that exceed the standard Ethernet frame size of 1500 bytes, typically supporting sizes up to 9000 bytes or more. When the TCP/IP stack receives malformed or specially crafted jumbo frames through the CE interface, the kernel's packet processing routines fail to properly validate the frame structure, leading to memory corruption and ultimately resulting in a system panic. This represents a classic buffer overflow condition where the network driver does not adequately check frame boundaries or validate packet headers before processing.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as it can completely compromise system availability and potentially provide attackers with opportunities for more sophisticated attacks. Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability without requiring authentication or local access, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where systems may be exposed to untrusted networks. The panic condition causes the entire operating system to crash, requiring manual intervention and system restart to restore normal operations, which can have significant business impact in mission-critical environments. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-129, which covers insufficient validation of array indices, both of which are common patterns in kernel-level memory corruption vulnerabilities.
From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001, which involves network denial of service attacks. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers can target systems from outside the local network perimeter, making traditional network segmentation measures insufficient for protection. The vulnerability affects systems that utilize high-performance network interfaces, which are commonly found in enterprise data centers and server environments where uptime is critical. Organizations running affected Solaris versions with Cassini GigaSwift adapters face a significant risk of service disruption that can affect multiple network services simultaneously. The exploit requires minimal skill and resources, making it attractive to threat actors seeking to disrupt operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include applying the appropriate security patches released by Oracle for Solaris 10 and OpenSolaris systems, which typically involve updating the network driver components and kernel networking stack. Administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit exposure of affected systems to untrusted networks, and monitoring for unusual network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, disabling jumbo frame support on affected interfaces provides a temporary workaround while permanent patches are deployed. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of thorough testing of network drivers and kernel components, particularly those handling high-performance network interfaces, and highlights the need for robust input validation in kernel space code to prevent similar issues in the future.