CVE-2013-0408 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Sun Solaris 10 allows local users to affect availability via vectors related to CPU performance counters drivers.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-0408 resides within Oracle Sun Solaris 10 operating system and represents a significant security flaw affecting system availability through CPU performance counter drivers. This unspecified vulnerability specifically targets the kernel-level components responsible for managing hardware performance monitoring features, creating potential attack vectors that could compromise system stability and operational continuity. The issue manifests when local users exploit weaknesses in how the system handles performance counter operations, potentially leading to system crashes or denial of service conditions that impact critical business operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the CPU performance counter driver modules. When local attackers execute malicious code or exploit specific system calls related to performance monitoring interfaces, the kernel fails to properly handle the malformed data or excessive resource consumption. This flaw operates at the kernel level, meaning that successful exploitation does not require elevated privileges beyond what a local user already possesses, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by malicious insiders or compromised accounts. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple system instability, as it can potentially cause cascading failures in performance monitoring applications that depend on accurate counter data for system health assessment and resource allocation decisions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations relying on Solaris 10 systems for critical infrastructure operations. The availability impact means that systems could experience unexpected restarts or become unresponsive during performance monitoring activities, potentially disrupting business processes that depend on real-time system metrics. Security professionals must consider that local users with minimal privileges can trigger this vulnerability, making it particularly concerning for environments where user access controls are not strictly enforced. The nature of performance counter drivers also means that the impact could extend to monitoring systems that track system health, potentially masking actual security incidents or performance degradation issues while the system experiences availability problems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-0408 should focus on immediate patch deployment from Oracle, as this vulnerability represents a known issue that has been addressed through official security updates. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring of system performance counter activities to detect potential exploitation attempts, as these systems often generate specific error patterns when under attack. Network segmentation and privilege reduction measures can help limit the potential impact of local exploitation, while regular security assessments should verify that systems are properly patched and that performance monitoring applications are not vulnerable to resource exhaustion attacks. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and may map to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and denial of service operations, emphasizing the need for layered security approaches that address both local and network-based threats.