CVE-2016-5551 in Solaris Cluster
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Solaris Cluster component of Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite (subcomponent: NAS device addition). The supported version that is affected is 4.3. Easily "exploitable" vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Solaris Cluster executes to compromise Solaris Cluster. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized read access to a subset of Solaris Cluster accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 3.3 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/20/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5551 resides within the Solaris Cluster component of Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite, specifically affecting the Network Attached Storage (NAS) device addition functionality in version 4.3. This represents a significant security weakness in enterprise clustering environments where Solaris Cluster serves as a critical foundation for high availability and fault tolerance. The vulnerability operates within the broader context of enterprise storage management systems where cluster nodes must maintain synchronized access to shared storage resources, making it particularly concerning for organizations relying on Solaris Cluster for mission-critical operations.
The technical flaw manifests in the NAS device addition process where insufficient authentication controls allow unauthorized access to cluster management functions. The vulnerability's CVSS 3.0 score of 3.3 indicates a low to medium severity classification with a base vector of AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N, which translates to a local attack vector requiring low complexity, no privilege requirements, and user interaction. The attack requires an attacker to already possess legitimate login credentials to the Solaris Cluster infrastructure, but once authenticated, they can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized read access to sensitive cluster data. This flaw falls under CWE-284, which specifically addresses improper access control, and demonstrates how seemingly minor configuration issues can create substantial security risks in enterprise environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it undermines the fundamental trust model of the Solaris Cluster environment. Successful exploitation allows attackers to access a subset of Solaris Cluster accessible data, potentially including cluster configuration information, node status details, and other sensitive operational data that could be leveraged for further attacks. The requirement for human interaction suggests that the vulnerability might be triggered through legitimate administrative processes, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited during routine cluster management activities. Organizations using Solaris Cluster for critical infrastructure operations face potential business disruption and data compromise risks when this vulnerability exists in their environment.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-5551 should focus on implementing robust access controls and monitoring procedures within Solaris Cluster environments. Organizations should ensure that all cluster management interfaces are properly secured with strong authentication mechanisms and that administrators follow strict operational procedures to minimize the attack surface. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1078, which covers valid accounts and legitimate credentials, emphasizes the importance of privilege management and access control reviews. Patch management processes should be prioritized to address this vulnerability, as Oracle would have released security updates specifically targeting the NAS device addition functionality. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring of cluster management traffic can help detect potential exploitation attempts, while regular security audits of cluster configurations should be conducted to identify and remediate similar access control weaknesses.