CVE-2018-2916 in Sun ZFS Storage Appliance Kit (AK)
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Sun ZFS Storage Appliance Kit (AK) component of Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite (subcomponent: API frameworks). The supported version that is affected is Prior to 8.7.18. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows high privileged attacker with network access via multiple protocols to compromise Sun ZFS Storage Appliance Kit (AK). Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Sun ZFS Storage Appliance Kit (AK). CVSS 3.0 Base Score 2.7 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/18/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2916 resides within the Sun ZFS Storage Appliance Kit component of Oracle's Sun Systems Products Suite, specifically affecting the API frameworks subcomponent. This security flaw impacts versions prior to 8.7.18 and represents a significant concern for organizations utilizing Oracle's storage infrastructure solutions. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers with high privileges and network access can leverage this weakness to compromise the targeted system. The affected appliance kit serves as a critical component in enterprise storage environments, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could disrupt essential data storage and retrieval operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls within the API frameworks of the ZFS Storage Appliance Kit. Attackers with high privileges can exploit this weakness through multiple network protocols to gain unauthorized access to system resources. This flaw operates at a level that allows for partial denial of service conditions, where the attacker can disrupt specific system functions without necessarily causing complete system failure. The CVSS 3.0 scoring of 2.7 reflects the relatively low severity impact in terms of confidentiality and integrity, but the availability impact score of 0.6 indicates that the vulnerability can indeed cause partial system disruption. The attack vector requires network access with high privileges, suggesting that the vulnerability may be exploited through internal network access or compromised administrative accounts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can compromise the reliability of critical storage infrastructure that organizations depend upon for data availability. Organizations utilizing Sun ZFS Storage Appliances may experience partial service degradation or functional limitations that could affect business operations, particularly in environments where continuous data access is essential. The partial denial of service condition means that certain storage functions or services may become unavailable while others continue to operate, creating unpredictable operational challenges for system administrators. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprises that rely heavily on Oracle's storage solutions for their data infrastructure, potentially leading to cascading effects throughout their IT operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-2916 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to version 8.7.18 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to storage appliances and enforce strict administrative access controls to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and may be related to ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers exploit for privilege escalation. Security teams should monitor network traffic for suspicious activity related to storage appliance access and implement comprehensive logging to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar access control weaknesses in the broader storage infrastructure ecosystem.