CVE-2018-2808 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Solaris component of Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite (subcomponent: Kernel). The supported version that is affected is 11.3. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Solaris executes to compromise Solaris. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker. 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 5.0 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2808 resides within the Solaris kernel component of Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite, specifically affecting version 11.3. This represents a significant security weakness that undermines the availability aspects of the operating system's core functionality. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers with minimal privileges can leverage this flaw to compromise the entire Solaris environment. The attack vector requires local access to the system where Solaris operates, meaning an attacker must first establish a foothold through legitimate logon credentials or other means of gaining access to the target infrastructure. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because it allows for complete denial of service conditions that can result in system hangs or frequent crashes, effectively rendering the affected system unusable for legitimate operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from flaws within the kernel's handling of certain system operations or memory management functions. According to the CVSS 3.0 scoring system, this vulnerability carries a base score of 5.0, which falls into the medium severity category, with the primary impact focused on availability rather than confidentiality or integrity. The attack complexity is rated as low, suggesting that the exploitation mechanism does not require advanced technical skills or specialized tools beyond what might be available to a typical attacker. The requirement for human interaction from a person other than the attacker indicates that this vulnerability likely involves user-specific actions or interactions that must occur for the exploit to succeed, potentially through social engineering or targeted manipulation of legitimate users. The CVSS vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H) clearly demonstrates that while the attack requires local privileges and user interaction, the potential for high availability impact makes this a serious concern for system administrators.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-2808 extends beyond simple system crashes, as it can lead to complete system downtime that affects business continuity and operational efficiency. Organizations running Solaris 11.3 systems are particularly vulnerable since this version has not received the necessary patches to address this kernel-level weakness. The vulnerability's potential to cause frequent repeatable crashes means that even if the system recovers, the repeated disruptions can significantly impact user productivity and service availability. From a security perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-119, which addresses weaknesses in the storage of data that can lead to buffer overflows or memory corruption issues within kernel space. The attack patterns associated with this vulnerability may also relate to techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation and defense evasion tactics, as attackers could potentially use this vulnerability as a stepping stone to gain broader system control.
Organizations must implement immediate mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, including applying the latest security patches released by Oracle for Solaris 11.3 systems. System administrators should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected Solaris installations within their infrastructure and prioritize remediation efforts accordingly. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts, particularly since the vulnerability requires local access but can result in complete system compromise. Additionally, monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns of system instability or crash occurrences that might indicate exploitation attempts. The implementation of principle of least privilege should be reinforced to minimize the potential damage from any successful attacks, ensuring that even if an attacker gains local access, their ability to exploit this vulnerability is limited. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to verify the effectiveness of implemented controls and identify any additional vulnerabilities that may exist within the Solaris environment.