CVE-2017-3516 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Solaris component of Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite (subcomponent: Kernel Zones virtualized NIC driver). The supported version that is affected is 11.3. Easily "exploitable" vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via multiple protocols to compromise Solaris. While the vulnerability is in Solaris, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized ability to cause a hang or frequently repeatable crash (complete DOS) of Solaris. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.7 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/20/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3516 resides within the Solaris component of Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite, specifically targeting the Kernel Zones virtualized NIC driver subcomponent. This flaw affects Solaris version 11.3 and represents a significant security weakness that can be exploited by low-privileged attackers with network access. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers require minimal prerequisites to leverage this weakness, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where network access may be broadly available. The attack vector is network-based, utilizing multiple protocols, which expands the potential attack surface and increases the likelihood of successful exploitation. The CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.7 reflects the high availability impact, with a vector of AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H, demonstrating that while no confidentiality or integrity impacts are initially reported, the availability compromise can lead to complete denial of service conditions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling within the kernel zones virtualized network interface controller driver, which operates within the virtualized environment of Solaris. This driver is responsible for managing network communication between virtual machines and the physical network infrastructure, making it a critical component for virtualization security. When exploited, the vulnerability allows attackers to trigger a hang or frequently repeatable crash of the Solaris operating system, effectively causing a complete denial of service condition. The flaw likely involves improper input validation or memory management within the driver code, potentially allowing crafted network packets to induce buffer overflows, invalid memory access, or other kernel-level anomalies that result in system instability. The fact that this vulnerability impacts the kernel zones functionality means that attackers can potentially affect multiple virtualized environments simultaneously, amplifying the operational impact beyond a single system.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-3516 extends far beyond the immediate Solaris system compromise, as attacks may significantly affect additional products within the Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite ecosystem. This cascading effect occurs because the vulnerability resides in fundamental kernel components that support various virtualized environments and network services. Organizations running virtualized infrastructures using Solaris 11.3 are particularly vulnerable, as the compromise of one virtualized instance could potentially affect the entire virtualization host. The complete denial of service condition caused by this vulnerability can result in extended downtime for critical services, business disruption, and potential financial losses. The availability impact is particularly severe since the system crashes are frequently repeatable, meaning that once exploited, attackers can repeatedly disrupt services without requiring additional reconnaissance or exploitation efforts. This characteristic makes the vulnerability particularly attractive to attackers seeking to cause sustained disruption or to test system resilience.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-3516 should focus on immediate patching and network segmentation approaches to reduce the attack surface. Organizations must prioritize applying the official Oracle security patches released for Solaris 11.3, which address the specific kernel zones virtualized NIC driver vulnerability. Network administrators should implement strict access controls and firewall rules to limit network access to systems running vulnerable Solaris versions, particularly restricting access to the virtualization management interfaces. The implementation of intrusion detection systems and network monitoring tools can help identify potential exploitation attempts by detecting unusual network traffic patterns associated with the vulnerability. Additionally, organizations should consider isolating virtualized environments through proper network segmentation to prevent lateral movement if one system is compromised. According to CWE standards, this vulnerability relates to CWE-121, which covers stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read conditions. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1489, which involves denial of service attacks, and potentially T1071, which covers application layer protocols, as the exploitation occurs through multiple network protocols. Regular system monitoring and vulnerability assessments should be implemented to identify and remediate similar issues before they can be exploited by malicious actors.