CVE-2009-2972 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
in.lpd in the print service in Sun Solaris 8 and 9 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) via unspecified vectors that trigger a "fork()/exec() bomb."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/12/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2009-2972 affects the in.lpd print service in Sun Solaris 8 and 9 systems, representing a critical denial of service weakness that can be exploited remotely. This issue specifically targets the line printer daemon component that handles print job processing and queue management within the Solaris operating system environment. The vulnerability manifests when the print service receives certain malformed or crafted print requests that trigger an excessive fork and exec system call sequence, leading to uncontrolled resource consumption. The attack vector operates through network-based communication with the print service, allowing remote adversaries to exploit the flaw without requiring local system access or authentication credentials.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in inadequate input validation and resource management within the in.lpd service implementation. When processing print requests, the service fails to properly limit or monitor the number of fork/exec operations that can be initiated in response to a single request. This flaw creates a condition where an attacker can send carefully constructed print jobs that cause the service to repeatedly spawn new processes through fork() system calls, followed by exec() operations to load new program images. The resulting process explosion consumes system memory and CPU resources at an exponential rate, eventually exhausting available system resources and rendering the print service unavailable to legitimate users.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to enterprise environments that rely on Solaris print services for document processing and printing operations. The denial of service condition can affect not only the print service functionality but also potentially impact other system processes that depend on the availability of system resources. Organizations with critical printing infrastructure, such as financial institutions, healthcare providers, or government agencies, could experience operational disruption when this vulnerability is exploited. The memory consumption aspect of the attack can also lead to system instability and may trigger automatic system shutdowns or restarts in extreme cases, compounding the operational impact beyond simple service unavailability.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" in software systems, and represents a specific implementation weakness in process management and resource allocation. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers "Endpoint Denial of Service" through resource exhaustion attacks. The attack requires minimal privileges and can be executed remotely, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where the print service is accessible to untrusted users. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to print services, apply security patches promptly, and monitor for unusual process creation patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The mitigation approach typically involves applying the official Oracle security patches for Solaris 8 and 9, implementing proper access controls, and monitoring system resource utilization to detect potential exploitation attempts.