CVE-2013-3837 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Solaris 10 and 11.1 allows remote attackers to affect availability via unknown vectors related to Cacao.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-3837 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle Solaris operating systems affecting versions 10 and 11.1. This issue falls under the category of availability impact, meaning that adversaries can potentially disrupt system operations and services through unspecified attack vectors connected to the Cacao component. The Cacao framework serves as a core element within Solaris for managing system resources and providing essential services, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for enterprise environments relying on Solaris platforms. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that the exact technical mechanisms remain undisclosed, which complicates immediate remediation efforts and threat modeling activities.
From a technical perspective, the vulnerability exists within the Cacao subsystem of Oracle Solaris, which handles various system management functions and resource allocation processes. The Cacao framework implements the Common Information Model (CIM) infrastructure that enables system management and monitoring capabilities across the operating system. Attackers exploiting this weakness can potentially cause system instability, service disruption, or complete system unavailability through methods that leverage the underlying Cacao implementation. This type of vulnerability typically manifests through memory corruption issues, resource exhaustion attacks, or improper handling of system calls that can lead to denial of service conditions. The vulnerability's classification as an availability impact means that successful exploitation can result in system crashes, service interruptions, or complete system downtime.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-3837 extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass broader enterprise security implications. Organizations running Oracle Solaris 10 and 11.1 systems face potential business continuity risks, as attackers could exploit this vulnerability to disable critical infrastructure services. The remote nature of the attack vector means that adversaries do not require physical access or local privileges to cause damage, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for network-connected systems. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks, where adversaries target system availability through remote exploitation. The Cacao framework's role in system management makes this vulnerability especially impactful for enterprise environments where Solaris systems manage critical infrastructure components, potentially affecting database services, network management tools, and system monitoring capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention from system administrators and security teams managing Oracle Solaris environments. The primary recommendation involves applying the relevant Oracle security patches and updates that address the Cacao framework implementation issues. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify systems running affected Solaris versions and prioritize patching efforts based on risk exposure. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions can provide additional protection by detecting anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should implement intrusion detection systems capable of identifying potential exploitation attempts targeting the Cacao framework. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-119 Improper Access to Memory and CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, indicating memory handling issues within the Cacao subsystem that require careful code review and security hardening measures. Organizations should also consider implementing additional access controls and privilege management policies to limit potential attack surface and reduce the impact of successful exploitation attempts.