CVE-2013-5834 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Solaris 8 allows local users to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors related to ps.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/07/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-5834 resides within Oracle Solaris 8 operating system and represents a significant security weakness in the process monitoring utility ps. This unspecified flaw manifests within the Solaris 8 environment where local attackers can exploit it to compromise the fundamental security properties of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The ps command serves as a critical system utility for process information retrieval and system monitoring, making it a prime target for exploitation. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified indicates that Oracle did not provide detailed technical information about the exact nature of the flaw during the initial disclosure, which complicates remediation efforts and security assessments.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from potential improper handling of process information within the Solaris 8 ps utility implementation. Local users who gain access to system resources can leverage this weakness to manipulate process data in ways that compromise system security. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure to include potential system instability and data corruption, as the flaw affects core system functions. This type of vulnerability typically involves memory management issues, buffer overflows, or privilege escalation mechanisms that allow unauthorized access to system resources. The ps command's interaction with system process tables and memory structures creates potential attack surfaces that malicious users can exploit to gain elevated privileges or access sensitive system information.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses serious risks to organizations running Solaris 8 systems, particularly those with multiple local users or less stringent access controls. The local nature of the attack means that exploitation requires physical or network access to the system, but once achieved, attackers can potentially modify system processes, access confidential information, or disrupt service availability. The three-pronged impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability aligns with the core principles of the CIA triad, indicating that this vulnerability could enable comprehensive system compromise. Organizations relying on Solaris 8 for critical operations face potential data breaches, system instability, and service interruptions that could have significant business impacts.
Security mitigations for CVE-2013-5834 should prioritize immediate system updates and patches from Oracle, as well as comprehensive access controls to limit local user privileges. System administrators should implement principle of least privilege models and regularly audit local user accounts to minimize potential attack vectors. The vulnerability's classification as a local privilege escalation issue makes proper user account management and monitoring essential. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as process monitoring, system integrity checking, and regular vulnerability assessments. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date system software and the risks associated with running legacy operating systems that may contain unpatched security flaws. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this under privilege escalation techniques, specifically local privilege escalation, while CWE classification would likely fall under CWE-20 for improper input validation or CWE-119 for memory safety issues. Regular security assessments and proper system maintenance practices are essential to prevent exploitation of such vulnerabilities in production environments.