CVE-2009-2952 in OpenSolaris
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the pollwakeup function in Sun Solaris 10, and OpenSolaris before snv_51, allows local users to cause a denial of service (panic) via unknown vectors.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/20/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-2952 represents a critical flaw within the Solaris operating system's kernel execution environment affecting versions prior to Solaris 10 and OpenSolaris snv_51. This issue resides within the pollwakeup function, which serves as a fundamental component in the kernel's event notification and process scheduling mechanisms. The pollwakeup function is responsible for waking up processes that are waiting for I/O events, making it a core element in the system's inter-process communication and resource management infrastructure. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vectors suggests that multiple attack surfaces within this function could potentially trigger the system crash condition, indicating a potentially broad class of exploitable conditions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the pollwakeup function's kernel code execution path. When local users execute specific operations that interact with the pollwakeup mechanism, the function fails to properly handle certain edge cases or malformed data structures, leading to kernel memory corruption. This corruption ultimately results in a system panic condition where the operating system terminates all running processes and reboots the system to prevent further instability. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level, meaning that successful exploitation does not require elevated privileges beyond local user access, as the flaw exists within the system's core execution environment. This characteristic aligns with CWE-119, which describes weaknesses in memory handling that can lead to buffer overflows or memory corruption issues.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-2952 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it represents a potential pathway for more sophisticated attacks within the Solaris ecosystem. The panic condition can be triggered through various legitimate system operations that utilize the pollwakeup functionality, making exploitation relatively straightforward for malicious users with local access. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with the attack pattern described in the ATT&CK framework under T1499, which covers endpoint denial of service techniques. System administrators and security professionals must recognize that this vulnerability can be exploited to create persistent availability issues, potentially disrupting critical services and applications that depend on stable kernel operations. The impact is particularly severe in enterprise environments where Solaris systems serve as foundational infrastructure components for database servers, web applications, and other mission-critical services.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-2952 primarily focus on immediate system updates and patches provided by Sun Microsystems, which address the underlying kernel code issues within the pollwakeup function. Organizations should prioritize applying the relevant security patches to all affected systems, particularly those running Solaris 10 or OpenSolaris versions prior to snv_51. Additionally, system hardening measures can include implementing strict access controls to minimize local user privileges and monitoring for unusual process activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous behavior patterns associated with kernel-level instability. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date system patches and demonstrates how seemingly minor kernel functions can contain flaws with significant operational consequences, reinforcing the need for comprehensive security maintenance programs that address both known and emerging threats within enterprise computing environments.