CVE-2016-5561 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Sun Solaris 11.3 allows remote attackers to affect availability via vectors related to IKE.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5561 resides within Oracle Sun Solaris 11.3 operating system and represents a significant security weakness affecting the Internet Key Exchange protocol implementation. This unspecified flaw manifests in a manner that enables remote attackers to compromise system availability through specific vectors associated with IKE communications. The vulnerability impacts the foundational network security infrastructure of Solaris systems, potentially allowing malicious actors to disrupt normal operations without requiring local access or elevated privileges. The IKE protocol serves as a critical component in establishing secure communication channels through IPsec, making this weakness particularly concerning for enterprise environments relying on Solaris for network security functions.
Technical analysis reveals that the vulnerability stems from inadequate handling of certain IKE messages or states within the Solaris implementation, creating potential avenues for denial of service attacks. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially formatted IKE packets that trigger unexpected behavior in the system's security daemon or kernel modules responsible for processing these communications. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability description suggests that the exact flaw may involve buffer overflows, improper state management, or insufficient input validation within the IKE processing code. This type of vulnerability typically operates at the network protocol level, affecting the system's ability to maintain stable connections and process legitimate security negotiations. The attack surface expands when considering that IKE is commonly used in VPN implementations, making affected systems potentially vulnerable to broader network disruption scenarios.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-5561 extends beyond simple availability disruption, as it can fundamentally compromise the security posture of Solaris systems within network infrastructures. When exploited, this vulnerability enables attackers to cause system instability, service interruptions, and potentially create conditions that allow for further exploitation attempts. Organizations utilizing Solaris 11.3 for network security functions face particular risk, as the vulnerability could be leveraged to disable critical security services or make systems unavailable for legitimate users. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not require physical access to the target systems, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in distributed network environments. Network administrators must consider that successful exploitation could result in cascading failures if the affected systems are part of larger security infrastructures relying on IKE for secure communications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-5561 should prioritize immediate patch application from Oracle, as the vulnerability represents a confirmed weakness in the Solaris security implementation. System administrators should implement network segmentation to limit exposure of affected systems to untrusted networks, while monitoring for unusual IKE traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The use of intrusion detection systems capable of identifying malformed IKE packets can provide early warning of potential attacks. Organizations should also consider temporarily disabling IKE services on affected systems until patches are applied, though this approach may impact legitimate network security functions. Compliance with industry standards such as those outlined in CWE-119 and CWE-362 provides frameworks for understanding the underlying security weaknesses that enable this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing network access controls and monitoring for suspicious network behavior aligns with ATT&CK framework tactics related to privilege escalation and defense evasion, helping organizations detect and respond to exploitation attempts more effectively.