CVE-2018-2928 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Solaris component of Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite (subcomponent: RAD). The supported version that is affected is 11.3. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via multiple protocols to compromise Solaris. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized creation, deletion or modification access to critical data or all Solaris accessible data as well as unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Solaris accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 8.1 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/18/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2928 resides within the Solaris component of Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite, specifically affecting the Remote Administration Daemon (RAD) subcomponent in version 11.3. This represents a critical security flaw that exposes the operating system to unauthorized access through network-based attacks. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage it without requiring specialized skills or privileged access, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where Solaris systems are commonly deployed.
This vulnerability operates through multiple network protocols, providing attackers with various attack vectors to compromise Solaris systems. The technical flaw stems from inadequate authentication mechanisms within the RAD service, which allows unauthenticated network connections to potentially manipulate system resources. The requirement for human interaction from a person other than the attacker suggests that while the initial exploitation may be automated, some form of user involvement or system interaction is necessary to complete the attack. This human interaction component typically involves actions such as clicking on malicious links, opening infected files, or performing specific administrative tasks that could trigger the vulnerability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as successful exploitation can result in unauthorized modification of critical system data and complete access to all Solaris accessible data. The CVSS 3.0 base score of 8.1 reflects the high severity of this flaw, with both confidentiality and integrity impacts rated as high. Attackers could potentially create, delete, or modify critical data within the Solaris environment, leading to data corruption, information disclosure, or complete system compromise. The vulnerability's ability to provide unauthorized access to all Solaris accessible data means that attackers could potentially gain access to sensitive system information, user credentials, and confidential business data stored on affected systems.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1190 for Exploit Public-Facing Application and T1078 for Valid Accounts. The vulnerability's network accessibility (AV:N) combined with low attack complexity (AC:L) and lack of required privileges (PR:N) creates an ideal scenario for automated exploitation campaigns. Organizations running Solaris 11.3 systems are particularly vulnerable as this represents a known weakness in the operating system's security architecture. The unauthorized modification capabilities of this flaw can lead to persistent access, data manipulation, and potential lateral movement within network environments where Solaris systems are deployed.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of affected Solaris systems to address the RAD component vulnerability. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of Solaris systems to untrusted networks. Regular security assessments and monitoring should be conducted to identify unauthorized access attempts or suspicious network activity related to the affected protocols. System administrators should disable unnecessary services and ensure that only authorized personnel have access to critical system functions. The vulnerability's classification as requiring human interaction suggests that user education and awareness programs should be implemented to prevent social engineering attacks that could trigger exploitation. Additionally, implementing network-based intrusion detection systems can help identify and block exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability.