CVE-2018-2923 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: Core Services). The supported version that is affected is Prior to 8.7.20. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows high privileged attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Sun ZFS Storage Appliance Kit (AK) executes to compromise Sun ZFS Storage Appliance Kit (AK). Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized read access to a subset of Sun ZFS Storage Appliance Kit (AK) accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 2.3 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/18/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2923 affects the Sun ZFS Storage Appliance Kit component within Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite, specifically within the Core Services subcomponent. This issue represents a significant security weakness in enterprise storage infrastructure that requires careful consideration by organizations relying on ZFS storage solutions. The vulnerability impacts all versions prior to 8.7.20, indicating that organizations using older iterations of this storage appliance software face potential compromise risks. The affected system operates within enterprise data center environments where storage appliances serve as critical infrastructure components for data management and archival purposes.
The technical flaw manifests as a privilege escalation vulnerability that requires an attacker to already possess legitimate logon credentials to the target infrastructure. This prerequisite aligns with the CVSS vector showing high privilege requirements and local access conditions, suggesting that the vulnerability does not represent a straightforward remote attack vector but rather a lateral movement or privilege abuse scenario. The vulnerability specifically allows for unauthorized read access to a subset of data accessible through the ZFS Storage Appliance Kit, indicating that while the impact is limited in scope, it still represents a confidentiality breach that could expose sensitive enterprise data. The low complexity access requirement and lack of user interaction make this vulnerability particularly concerning for environments where administrative credentials might be compromised through other attack vectors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it represents a potential pathway for attackers to gain deeper access to enterprise storage systems that often contain critical business data, intellectual property, and sensitive customer information. Organizations utilizing ZFS Storage Appliance Kit may experience cascading security implications if attackers leverage this vulnerability to access additional systems or data repositories that are interconnected with the storage infrastructure. The CVSS base score of 2.3 reflects the relatively limited impact scope, yet the vulnerability's potential for data exfiltration remains a serious concern for enterprise security posture. This weakness directly violates the principle of least privilege and could enable attackers to access data that should remain protected, particularly in regulated industries where data confidentiality is paramount.
Organizations should implement immediate remediation measures by upgrading to version 8.7.20 or later of the Sun ZFS Storage Appliance Kit to address this vulnerability. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive access control reviews, ensuring that administrative credentials are properly secured through multi-factor authentication and privilege management protocols. Security teams should conduct thorough network segmentation to limit lateral movement opportunities and implement monitoring solutions that can detect unusual access patterns to storage systems. Additionally, organizations should perform regular vulnerability assessments targeting storage infrastructure components to identify similar weaknesses that could be exploited in combination with this vulnerability. The implementation of these controls aligns with cybersecurity frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53 and supports the ATT&CK framework's defense-in-depth principles by addressing privilege escalation and credential compromise threats. Organizations should also consider implementing data loss prevention solutions to monitor for unauthorized data access patterns that could indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.