CVE-2018-2822 in Solaris Cluster
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Solaris Cluster component of Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite (subcomponent: Cluster Geo). The supported version that is affected is 4.3. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Solaris Cluster executes to compromise Solaris Cluster. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Solaris Cluster accessible data as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Solaris Cluster accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Solaris Cluster. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 6.6 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2822 resides within the Solaris Cluster component of Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite, specifically affecting the Cluster Geo subcomponent in version 4.3. This represents a significant security weakness that exploits the trust relationships within enterprise cluster environments where Solaris Cluster operates as a critical infrastructure component for high availability and fault tolerance. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers with minimal privileges can leverage existing access to compromise the entire cluster system, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where cluster systems manage critical business operations and data availability.
The technical flaw manifests as a privilege escalation vulnerability that allows low-privileged attackers who have already established a logon session on the Solaris Cluster execution infrastructure to gain unauthorized access to sensitive cluster data and operations. This vulnerability operates through the Cluster Geo functionality which manages geographic clustering capabilities, potentially enabling attackers to manipulate cluster configurations and access data that should remain protected. The attack vector requires local access to the system where Solaris Cluster is executing, but the impact extends far beyond the initial access point to encompass complete compromise of the cluster environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, encompassing confidentiality, integrity, and availability breaches as indicated by the CVSS 3.0 base score of 6.6. Attackers can achieve unauthorized access to critical data stored within the Solaris Cluster, potentially exposing sensitive business information, configuration details, and operational data that could be used for further attacks or corporate espionage. The integrity impact allows unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations on cluster-accessible data, enabling attackers to modify critical cluster configurations or corrupt operational data. Additionally, the availability impact can result in partial denial of service conditions that disrupt cluster operations and potentially cause system downtime.
The vulnerability's characteristics align with CWE-269, which addresses privileges and access control weaknesses, and relates to the ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves local privilege escalation through system vulnerabilities. Organizations utilizing Solaris Cluster in mission-critical environments face significant risk from this vulnerability, as it essentially allows attackers who have gained any level of system access to escalate their privileges and compromise the entire cluster infrastructure. The partial denial of service capability means that attackers can disrupt cluster operations without necessarily achieving complete system compromise, making the threat more versatile and potentially more damaging in operational contexts where cluster availability is critical for business continuity.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying Oracle's security patches for Solaris Cluster version 4.3, restricting local access to cluster execution environments, implementing strict access controls and monitoring for unauthorized activities, and conducting thorough security assessments of cluster configurations. Network segmentation and privileged access management solutions should be deployed to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all cluster components and implementing comprehensive monitoring solutions that can detect unusual access patterns or privilege escalation attempts within cluster environments. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments specifically targeting cluster configurations are essential to prevent exploitation of similar weaknesses in other components of the Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite.