CVE-2017-3629 in Sun Systems Products Suite
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Solaris component of Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite (subcomponent: Kernel). Supported versions that are affected are 10 and 11. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Solaris executes to compromise Solaris. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Solaris. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.8 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3629 represents a critical security flaw within the Solaris operating system kernel, specifically affecting Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite versions 10 and 11. This vulnerability operates at the kernel level, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by attackers who have already gained low-privileged access to the system. The CVSS 3.0 score of 7.8 indicates a high severity threat that can compromise all three core security principles: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The attack vector is classified as local access with low complexity and low privilege requirements, meaning that an attacker who has already established a foothold on the system can leverage this vulnerability to escalate their privileges and gain complete control over the Solaris environment.
The technical nature of this kernel vulnerability stems from improper handling of certain system calls or memory management functions within the Solaris kernel implementation. This type of flaw typically involves buffer overflows, privilege escalation mechanisms, or race conditions that allow unauthorized code execution with elevated privileges. The vulnerability's classification under CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) would likely fall within categories related to kernel-level privilege escalation or improper input validation. Attackers can exploit this weakness to execute arbitrary code with kernel-level privileges, effectively bypassing all user-level security controls and access restrictions that would normally protect the system.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-3629 extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, as successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise. An attacker who gains control over a Solaris system through this vulnerability can access all stored data, modify system configurations, install malicious software, and potentially use the compromised system as a launch point for attacks on other networked systems. The availability impact is particularly severe since the attacker can potentially cause system crashes or denial of service conditions. This vulnerability also poses significant risks to enterprise environments where Solaris systems often serve as critical infrastructure components, including database servers, application servers, and network services that may be targeted by sophisticated attackers seeking to establish persistent access to organizational networks.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Oracle security patches and updates as released through Oracle Critical Patch Updates. System administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit the potential impact of exploitation, ensuring that Solaris systems are not directly accessible from untrusted networks. Monitoring for suspicious system behavior and implementing robust intrusion detection systems can help identify exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK tactics related to privilege escalation and persistence, making it essential for security teams to review their incident response procedures and ensure proper detection capabilities are in place. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify other potential kernel-level vulnerabilities and ensure their patch management processes are robust enough to address such critical threats promptly.