CVE-2012-3178 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the kernel in Oracle Sun Solaris 11 allows local users to affect availability via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-3178 represents a significant security flaw within the kernel of Oracle Sun Solaris 11 operating system. This issue falls under the category of local privilege escalation vulnerabilities that specifically target the kernel's core functionality, potentially allowing malicious users with local access to disrupt system availability. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vectors suggests that the flaw could manifest through multiple attack pathways, making it particularly concerning for security professionals who must account for various potential exploitation techniques.
The technical nature of this vulnerability resides within the kernel space of Solaris 11, where the flaw enables local users to manipulate system resources in ways that could lead to denial of service conditions or complete system instability. Kernel-level vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they operate at the most privileged level of the operating system, allowing attackers to bypass traditional security controls and potentially gain unauthorized access to critical system functions. The unspecified vectors indicate that the vulnerability may involve memory corruption issues, race conditions, or improper privilege handling within kernel modules that process local user requests.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk to organizations relying on Solaris 11 systems, particularly those with multiple local user accounts or those that do not maintain strict access controls. The ability to affect system availability means that attackers could potentially cause system crashes, service interruptions, or complete system downtime, which would have cascading effects on business operations and could result in significant financial losses. The local nature of the vulnerability means that attackers would need physical access or already have some level of system access, but this limitation does not reduce the overall risk since local accounts are often more accessible than remote attack vectors.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in relation to the CWE-119 weakness category, which encompasses issues related to the improper handling of memory or resources in kernel space. The ATT&CK framework would classify this under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the kernel to achieve persistent access or system compromise. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the relevant Oracle security patches, implementing strict local access controls, monitoring for unusual system behavior, and conducting thorough security assessments of their Solaris 11 environments. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date kernel security patches and implementing comprehensive security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts before they can cause significant damage to system availability.