CVE-2009-2430 in OpenSolaris
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in auditconfig in Sun Solaris 8, 9, 10, and OpenSolaris snv_01 through snv_58, when Solaris Auditing is enabled, allows local users with an RBAC execution profile for auditconfig to gain privileges via unknown attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/31/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2009-2430 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the Solaris auditing subsystem, specifically affecting auditconfig utility across multiple Solaris versions including 8, 9, 10, and various OpenSolaris snapshots. This issue manifests when Solaris Auditing is enabled and local users possess an RBAC execution profile for auditconfig, creating a dangerous attack surface that could be exploited by malicious actors with limited initial access. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests the vulnerability may involve multiple exploitation pathways or could be a complex interaction between different system components. The flaw resides in the privilege management mechanisms of the auditing framework, where proper access controls fail to prevent unauthorized privilege elevation through the auditconfig utility.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate privilege validation within the auditconfig command execution context. When users with specific RBAC profiles attempt to execute auditconfig, the system fails to properly validate the scope of operations permitted to these users, potentially allowing them to manipulate audit configurations in ways that could escalate their privileges. This represents a classic case of insufficient access control enforcement, where the system's trust model is compromised through improper privilege boundaries. The vulnerability operates at the system call level where audit configuration modifications intersect with privilege management, creating potential for privilege escalation through manipulation of audit policy settings or audit log handling mechanisms. The flaw may involve improper handling of audit event filtering, audit trail modification, or audit policy enforcement that could be exploited to gain elevated system privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally undermines the security model of Solaris systems that rely on RBAC and auditing for security enforcement. Local attackers with minimal system access could potentially gain root privileges or access to sensitive system functions, leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects enterprise environments where Solaris systems are deployed with auditing enabled and RBAC profiles configured, creating widespread exposure across organizations that depend on these security mechanisms. Attackers could exploit this weakness to establish persistent access, modify audit trails to cover their tracks, or gain unauthorized access to system resources that should be restricted to privileged users only. The implications are particularly severe in regulated environments where audit trails must remain tamper-proof and where compliance requirements demand strict control over system access.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-2430 should focus on immediate patch application for affected Solaris versions, though this vulnerability predates modern patch management practices and may require system administrators to implement manual security controls. Organizations should review and tighten RBAC execution profiles to limit access to auditconfig utility, ensuring that only authorized personnel with legitimate need can execute these commands. System administrators should implement additional monitoring for auditconfig usage and establish alerting mechanisms for unauthorized audit configuration changes. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues and demonstrates characteristics similar to ATT&CK technique T1068 Privilege Escalation through improper access control enforcement. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit local access to systems with auditing enabled and establish comprehensive audit trail monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments should verify that audit configurations cannot be manipulated to gain unauthorized privileges, and system hardening procedures should include validation of RBAC profile permissions and audit system integrity checks.