CVE-2013-1498 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Sun Solaris 10 and 11 allows local users to affect availability via unknown vectors related to Kernel/IO, a different vulnerability than CVE-2013-1496.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-1498 represents a significant security weakness within Oracle Sun Solaris operating systems, specifically affecting versions 10 and 11. This issue resides within the kernel/io subsystem of the operating system, making it particularly dangerous as it operates at the core level where system stability and security are paramount. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified indicates that Oracle did not provide detailed technical information about the exact nature of the flaw, which is common with certain kernel-level issues that may involve complex interactions between system components. Unlike CVE-2013-1496 which was specifically related to kernel memory management, this vulnerability operates through different attack vectors that specifically target the kernel/io functionality.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it within the domain of kernel-level exploits that can potentially allow local users to manipulate system resources in ways that compromise availability. Kernel/io vulnerabilities typically involve flaws in how the operating system handles input/output operations, device drivers, or system calls related to hardware interaction. The unspecified nature of the vector suggests that the vulnerability could be exploited through various mechanisms including but not limited to improper handling of system calls, race conditions in io subsystem operations, or memory corruption issues within kernel data structures. These types of vulnerabilities are particularly concerning because they operate at the most privileged level of the operating system, where any compromise can lead to complete system control.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses a serious threat to system availability and stability within Solaris environments. Local users who can exploit this vulnerability may be able to cause system crashes, hangs, or other availability issues that can result in service disruption for critical applications running on these systems. The kernel/io nature of the vulnerability means that exploitation could potentially lead to denial of service conditions that are difficult to recover from without system reboot, making the impact particularly severe in enterprise environments where system uptime is critical. The vulnerability's location within the core kernel components means that even successful exploitation may not provide direct access to user data, but the availability impact can still cause significant business disruption.
Security practitioners should approach this vulnerability with particular caution as kernel-level issues often require careful analysis and may have cascading effects throughout the system. The vulnerability's relationship to CVE-2013-1496 indicates that Oracle was addressing multiple related issues within the same kernel/io subsystem, suggesting a broader pattern of weaknesses that may require comprehensive system hardening approaches. Organizations should implement proper access controls and monitoring to prevent unauthorized local access to systems, as local privilege escalation is typically required to exploit such kernel-level vulnerabilities. The vulnerability aligns with attack patterns described in the ATT&CK framework under the privilege escalation and defense evasion tactics, where adversaries may leverage kernel-level flaws to maintain persistent access or cause system instability. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability would likely fall under CWE-119 or CWE-121 categories related to improper restriction of operations within a recognized security boundary, or memory corruption issues respectively, highlighting the fundamental nature of the security weakness in the kernel's io handling mechanisms.