CVE-2018-2563 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Solaris component of Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite (subcomponent: LDAP Library). Supported versions that are affected are 10 and 11.3. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via LDAP to compromise Solaris. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Solaris accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of Solaris accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 4.2 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2563 resides within the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol library of Oracle Solaris operating systems, specifically affecting versions 10 and 11.3. This represents a significant security weakness in the directory services infrastructure that underpins many enterprise network operations. The vulnerability operates at the LDAP library level, which serves as a critical interface for managing directory services and authentication within the Solaris ecosystem. The flaw manifests as a privilege escalation opportunity that can be exploited by attackers with minimal access credentials, making it particularly concerning for organizations that rely heavily on directory-based authentication systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the LDAP library implementation. Attackers with network-level access can leverage this weakness to execute unauthorized modifications to directory data, including the ability to insert, update, or delete information within the directory service. The vulnerability's classification as difficult to exploit reflects the complexity required to successfully compromise the system, yet it remains within reach of determined adversaries. The CVSS score of 4.2 indicates a moderate severity threat that can result in significant data integrity and confidentiality breaches. This vulnerability operates under the CWE-284 access control weakness category, specifically manifesting as improper access control within network services.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-2563 extends beyond simple data compromise to potentially undermine the entire directory services infrastructure that many Solaris systems depend upon. Organizations may experience unauthorized access to sensitive user information, credential theft, and potential lateral movement within their network environments. The vulnerability's ability to enable unauthorized read access to subset data means that attackers can gather intelligence about system configurations, user accounts, and network resources without detection. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where directory services are used for authentication, authorization, and access control across multiple systems. The attack vector requiring only network access via LDAP indicates that the threat model encompasses both external attackers and potentially internal users with network connectivity.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected Solaris versions, as Oracle has released security updates addressing the specific LDAP library flaw. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit LDAP service exposure and consider disabling unnecessary LDAP functionality where possible. The implementation of network monitoring and intrusion detection systems can help identify exploitation attempts by monitoring for unusual LDAP traffic patterns or unauthorized access attempts. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive audits of their directory services configurations to ensure proper access controls are in place and regularly review user permissions within the LDAP directory structure. Additionally, implementing multi-factor authentication for directory services and maintaining detailed logging of all directory access activities provides additional layers of protection. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting highlights the importance of comprehensive monitoring and access control measures to prevent exploitation and maintain system integrity.