CVE-2013-5866 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Solaris 11.1 allows local users to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors related to Kernel.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-5866 represents a critical security flaw within the Oracle Solaris 11.1 operating system kernel that enables local attackers to compromise system confidentiality, integrity, and availability through unspecified attack vectors. This classification indicates a fundamental weakness in the kernel's security architecture that could be exploited by malicious users with local access privileges. The unspecified nature of the exact attack vectors suggests that the vulnerability may encompass multiple related weaknesses within the kernel subsystems, potentially affecting various kernel components including memory management, process control, or system call handling mechanisms. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it affects all three core security principles that form the foundation of information security. Such vulnerabilities in kernel space are particularly dangerous because they operate at the most privileged level of the operating system, providing attackers with extensive control over system resources and data. The vulnerability exists within the Solaris 11.1 release, which was part of Oracle's enterprise operating system family designed for mission-critical environments, making the potential impact particularly severe for organizations relying on this platform. The local user access requirement means that an attacker must already have some level of access to the system, typically through legitimate user accounts or compromised credentials, but the privilege escalation capabilities could allow them to gain root access or otherwise compromise system integrity.
The technical exploitation of this kernel vulnerability likely involves manipulating kernel data structures, memory regions, or system call interfaces to achieve unauthorized access to system resources. The attack vectors could potentially involve race conditions, buffer overflows, or improper validation of kernel-level operations that would allow a local user to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. This type of vulnerability aligns with common kernel-level weaknesses categorized under CWE-119 which deals with memory safety issues, or CWE-20 which addresses input validation problems. The kernel's privilege separation mechanisms may be bypassed, allowing local users to access memory regions or system functions that should only be available to the kernel itself. The unspecified nature of the vectors suggests that the vulnerability could manifest through multiple pathways including improper handling of system calls, memory allocation routines, or kernel module interfaces. Such vulnerabilities often stem from inadequate bounds checking, improper access control mechanisms, or flawed privilege management within the kernel's core components. The impact on confidentiality means that attackers could potentially read sensitive kernel data or system memory, while integrity compromise allows modification of critical system structures, and availability disruption could result from kernel crashes or denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-5866 extends beyond immediate exploitation capabilities to affect enterprise security posture and system reliability. Organizations running Oracle Solaris 11.1 systems face significant risk of data breaches, system compromise, and potential service disruption if this vulnerability remains unpatched. The local user requirement means that traditional perimeter security measures may not prevent exploitation, as attackers could leverage compromised user accounts or legitimate access to gain elevated privileges. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where Solaris 11.1 is deployed for critical infrastructure, database servers, or enterprise applications where system integrity and availability are paramount. The potential for privilege escalation to root level access creates scenarios where attackers could completely compromise system security, access sensitive data, modify system configurations, or establish persistent backdoors. Organizations may experience operational disruption through system crashes, service unavailability, or the need for emergency system maintenance and patch deployment. The vulnerability's presence in Solaris 11.1 also indicates a broader security gap in Oracle's kernel implementation that could affect other components of the operating system architecture. System administrators must consider the potential for cascading effects where exploitation of this kernel vulnerability could lead to compromise of other system components or applications running on the same platform.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-5866 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from Oracle to address the underlying kernel vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive system monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish robust access control measures to limit local user privileges where possible. The security configuration should include disabling unnecessary services and applications that might provide additional attack vectors for exploitation. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar kernel-level weaknesses that might exist in the system configuration. System hardening practices should focus on reducing the attack surface by implementing least privilege principles and ensuring that only essential services are running with elevated privileges. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to prevent lateral movement if local exploitation occurs. The implementation of intrusion detection systems and security information event management solutions can help identify suspicious activities that may indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also develop incident response procedures specifically tailored for kernel-level vulnerabilities that could provide attackers with root access to systems. Regular security training for system administrators and security personnel should emphasize the importance of timely patch management and the potential consequences of kernel-level security breaches. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of maintaining current security patches and the need for continuous monitoring of security advisories from vendors like Oracle to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities in enterprise operating systems.