CVE-2018-1171 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on vulnerable installations of Joyent SmartOS release-20170803-20170803T064301Z. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the DTrace DOF files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a write past the end of an allocated object. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code under the context of the host OS. Was ZDI-CAN-5106.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/18/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1171 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw affecting Joyent SmartOS installations, specifically release-20170803-20170803T064301Z and potentially other versions within the same timeframe. This vulnerability operates within the DTrace framework, which serves as a dynamic tracing facility for operating systems and is integral to system monitoring and debugging operations. The flaw manifests in the handling of DOF (DTrace Object Format) files, which are used to describe and manage DTrace probes and other tracing mechanisms within the SmartOS environment. The vulnerability requires an attacker to first establish a foothold with low-privileged access, making it a post-exploitation vector rather than a direct initial compromise mechanism.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the DOF file processing code, specifically when handling user-supplied data structures. This validation failure creates a classic buffer overflow condition where maliciously crafted DOF files can cause the system to write data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory objects. The improper validation allows attackers to manipulate memory layout and potentially overwrite critical system structures or function pointers. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-121, which describes "Stack-based Buffer Overflow" conditions, though in this case the overflow occurs in heap-managed memory within the DTrace subsystem. The flaw demonstrates a failure in proper bounds checking and memory management practices that are fundamental to secure software development.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and potentially catastrophic for affected systems. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can execute code with the privileges of the host operating system, effectively achieving complete system compromise. This privilege escalation allows the attacker to bypass traditional security boundaries and gain unrestricted access to system resources, including the ability to read and modify any file, create new user accounts, install malware, and potentially establish persistence mechanisms. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires only local execution capabilities, meaning that an attacker who has already compromised a system with limited privileges can leverage this flaw to gain full administrative control over the host. This makes the vulnerability especially dangerous in multi-tenant environments where guest operating systems might be running on the same physical hardware.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patch application from Joyent, as the vendor would have released a fix addressing the DTrace DOF file validation issues. Organizations should implement strict access controls and monitoring for DTrace operations, particularly in environments where untrusted users might have access to system resources. The principle of least privilege should be enforced, limiting the ability to execute DTrace commands to only necessary administrative users. System administrators should also consider implementing runtime protections such as stack canaries and address space layout randomization to make exploitation more difficult. Additionally, monitoring for unusual DTrace activity or attempts to load malicious DOF files should be implemented as part of overall security operations. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation," and demonstrates the importance of validating all user-supplied data in system-level components as outlined in the software security best practices documented by various cybersecurity frameworks including those from NIST and SANS.