CVE-2017-10099 in Oracle
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the SPARC M7, T7, S7 based Servers component of Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite (subcomponent: Firmware). The supported version that is affected is Prior to 9.7.6.b. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows high privileged attacker with logon to the infrastructure where SPARC M7, T7, S7 based Servers executes to compromise SPARC M7, T7, S7 based Servers. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized ability to cause a hang or frequently repeatable crash (complete DOS) of SPARC M7, T7, S7 based Servers. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 4.4 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-10099 represents a critical availability risk within Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite, specifically affecting SPARC M7, T7, and S7 based servers through their firmware components. This weakness resides in the firmware subsystem of these enterprise-grade servers, which operate at the foundational level of system infrastructure. The affected systems are those running firmware versions prior to 9.7.6.b, indicating that this represents a long-standing issue that was not adequately addressed in earlier releases. The vulnerability classification as easily exploitable suggests that the attack surface is accessible to adversaries who already possess legitimate administrative access to the target infrastructure, making it particularly concerning for organizations with robust security perimeters where insider threats or compromised credentials could lead to devastating operational impacts.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows for a complete denial of service condition through a hang or frequently repeatable crash of the affected servers. This represents a significant availability impact as defined by the CVSS 3.0 scoring system with a base score of 4.4, where the availability impact is rated as high at level A:H. The attack vector requires local access with high privileges, meaning that an attacker who has already established a foothold within the system infrastructure can leverage this weakness to cause persistent system instability. The firmware-based nature of the vulnerability indicates that it operates at a low level within the system architecture, potentially affecting critical system functions that govern hardware behavior and resource management. This type of vulnerability commonly maps to CWE-119, which deals with weaknesses related to improper handling of memory or resources, and may also align with CWE-254, addressing weaknesses in privilege management or access control mechanisms.
The operational impact of successfully exploiting CVE-2017-10099 extends far beyond simple service interruption, as the described hang or crash conditions can result in complete system downtime for SPARC-based servers that form the backbone of many enterprise computing environments. These servers typically support critical business applications, database operations, and high-performance computing workloads where availability is paramount. The repeatable nature of the crash indicates that once exploited, the vulnerability can be used to maintain persistent disruption rather than creating a one-time incident. Organizations relying on these systems for mission-critical operations face significant risk of operational disruption, potential data loss, and financial impact from extended downtime periods. The vulnerability's impact on system availability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499, which covers network denial of service attacks, and specifically targets the availability pillar of the CIA triad.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate firmware updates to versions 9.7.6.b or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the firmware weakness. System administrators should conduct thorough inventory assessments to identify all affected SPARC M7, T7, and S7 servers within their infrastructure and prioritize remediation efforts based on risk exposure. Given the high privilege requirements for exploitation, organizations should also implement enhanced monitoring for unusual system behavior or repeated crash events that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as requiring high privilege access suggests that proper access control measures and privilege management protocols should be reinforced to limit the potential impact of compromised accounts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network segmentation strategies to isolate critical SPARC-based systems and establish incident response procedures specifically designed to handle availability-focused attacks targeting firmware components. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of updated firmware versions in non-production environments before deployment to ensure that the patches do not introduce compatibility issues with existing system configurations or applications.