CVE-2015-2578 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Sun Solaris 11.2 allows remote attackers to affect availability via vectors related to Kernel IDMap.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2578 resides within Oracle Sun Solaris 11.2 operating system and represents a critical weakness in the kernel's IDMap subsystem that can be exploited by remote attackers to compromise system availability. This unspecified vulnerability specifically targets the kernel's handling of identity mapping mechanisms, which are fundamental components responsible for translating user identifiers between different security contexts within the operating system. The IDMap functionality serves as a bridge between user space applications and kernel space operations, making it a critical attack surface for adversaries seeking to disrupt system operations.
The technical flaw manifests in how the kernel processes and validates identity mappings, potentially allowing malicious actors to craft specific inputs that cause the kernel to enter an inconsistent state or trigger resource exhaustion conditions. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of kernel-level availability attacks, where the primary objective is to render system services unavailable rather than to gain unauthorized access or execute arbitrary code. The attack vector involves remote exploitation, meaning that adversaries can leverage this weakness from external network positions without requiring local system access or elevated privileges. The vulnerability's classification as a kernel-level issue indicates that successful exploitation could lead to system crashes, service disruptions, or complete system unavailability.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to enterprise environments relying on Solaris 11.2 systems, particularly in mission-critical applications where system uptime is essential. The availability compromise could affect database servers, application servers, or any system components that depend on stable kernel operations. Organizations utilizing these systems may experience unexpected service interruptions, data access failures, or complete system outages that could result in substantial financial losses and operational disruptions. The remote nature of the attack means that organizations cannot rely solely on network segmentation or firewall rules to protect against this threat, as the vulnerability can be exploited from anywhere on the internet.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically under the T1499 category of Network Denial of Service, where the attack targets system availability through kernel-level manipulation. The vulnerability's relationship to CWE-119, which covers "Improper Access to Memory", and CWE-362, which addresses "Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization", further emphasizes the kernel-level nature of the flaw. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying Oracle's security patches, monitoring for anomalous kernel behavior, and implementing network-level controls to limit access to affected systems. System administrators should also consider deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify patterns consistent with exploitation attempts and establish robust incident response procedures to address potential availability disruptions. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and conducting regular vulnerability assessments to identify and remediate similar kernel-level weaknesses before they can be exploited by malicious actors.