CVE-2013-1499 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Sun Solaris 11 allows local users to affect availability via unknown vectors related to Network Configuration.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-1499 represents a significant security flaw within Oracle Sun Solaris 11 operating system that compromises system availability through network configuration related mechanisms. This unspecified vulnerability resides within the network configuration subsystem of the Solaris operating system, where local attackers can exploit unknown vectors to disrupt system operations and potentially cause service outages. The vulnerability's classification as local indicates that exploitation requires prior access to the system, though the impact on availability makes it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where Solaris systems serve critical network functions. Network configuration components in Solaris are fundamental to system operation as they manage IP addressing, routing, and network interface management, making any compromise of these elements potentially catastrophic for network services.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under the category of availability impact, suggesting that the flaw enables attackers to cause denial of service conditions rather than direct privilege escalation or data compromise. The unspecified vectors indicate that the exact technical mechanism remains undocumented in public sources, which is common with certain classes of vulnerabilities that involve complex interactions within system networking stacks. This type of vulnerability often stems from improper input validation, memory corruption issues, or race conditions within network configuration management code. The network configuration subsystem in Solaris is responsible for maintaining system network state and managing network interface configurations, making it a prime target for availability attacks that can disrupt network connectivity and system services. Such vulnerabilities typically align with CWE-119 which addresses weaknesses in memory management and improper access to memory, or CWE-362 which deals with concurrent execution issues leading to race conditions.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-1499 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise entire network infrastructure depending on the Solaris system's role within the organization. Local users with access to the system can leverage this vulnerability to cause network interfaces to become unavailable, leading to complete loss of network connectivity for affected systems. In enterprise environments where Solaris systems serve as network gateways, routers, or core infrastructure components, such an availability compromise can cascade across multiple systems and services. The vulnerability's presence in Solaris 11 means that organizations running this version of the operating system face significant risk, particularly in environments where network configuration changes occur frequently or where local access controls are insufficient. The attack surface is broad as network configuration management is integral to all networked systems, and the impact can range from temporary service interruptions to complete network outages.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of affected Solaris 11 systems through Oracle's security updates and advisories. Organizations must implement strict access controls and privilege management to limit local user access to network configuration components, aligning with defense-in-depth principles from the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous network configuration changes that might indicate exploitation attempts. System administrators should also conduct regular security assessments of network configuration management processes and maintain comprehensive system monitoring to detect availability impacts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing robust access control policies, particularly for systems handling critical network functions. Organizations should also consider implementing network configuration management tools that provide audit trails and automated compliance checking to prevent unauthorized modifications that could exploit this vulnerability. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing focused on network configuration components can help identify similar weaknesses that may not yet be publicly documented but could pose similar availability risks.