CVE-2018-3264 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 of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Solaris accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Solaris. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 4.4 (Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/29/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3264 resides within the Solaris kernel component of Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite, representing a critical security weakness that affects version 11.3 of the operating system. This flaw operates at the kernel level, making it particularly dangerous as it provides attackers with deep system access capabilities. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that minimal technical expertise is required to leverage this weakness, while the low privilege requirement means that even users with basic system access can potentially exploit it. The attack vector is local access, requiring only that an attacker have logon privileges to the Solaris system, which significantly broadens the potential attack surface as legitimate users with minimal privileges could inadvertently provide access to malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation or access control mechanisms within the Solaris kernel, allowing unauthorized modifications to system data and resources. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system rates this vulnerability with a base score of 4.4, reflecting moderate severity with specific impacts to both integrity and availability. The integrity impact score of 4.0 indicates that attackers can perform unauthorized updates, inserts, or deletions of data within the Solaris environment, while the availability impact score of 4.0 suggests potential partial denial of service conditions that could disrupt system operations. The attack complexity is rated as low, meaning that exploitation does not require specialized tools or extensive knowledge of system internals, and the privilege requirements are also low, indicating that the vulnerability can be exploited by users who already have basic system login access.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-3264 extends beyond simple data manipulation to potentially compromise the overall integrity and reliability of Solaris systems. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to modify critical system files, alter user permissions, or corrupt system data, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive information and potential system instability. The partial denial of service component means that while complete system shutdown may not be guaranteed, attackers could disrupt specific services or functionalities within the Solaris environment. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations running Solaris 11.3 systems, which may include enterprise servers, database systems, and other critical infrastructure components where the kernel-level access could be leveraged for further attacks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control in software systems, and represents a significant concern for organizations implementing Oracle Solaris in their infrastructure.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Oracle security patches and updates to address the kernel-level vulnerability. System administrators should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running Solaris 11.3 and ensure they are updated with the latest security fixes. Additional protective measures include implementing strict access controls, monitoring system logs for unauthorized activities, and employing network segmentation to limit the potential impact of exploitation. The vulnerability's characteristics suggest that organizations should also review their user access policies and ensure that only authorized personnel have login privileges to critical systems. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation and defense evasion techniques, as attackers could use it to gain elevated privileges and potentially hide their activities within the compromised system. Regular security audits and continuous monitoring of system integrity are essential to detect and respond to exploitation attempts that may leverage this specific kernel vulnerability.