CVE-2018-3265 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Solaris component of Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite (subcomponent: Zones). The supported version that is affected is 11.3. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows unauthenticated 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 as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of Solaris accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Solaris. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 4.9 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/29/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3265 resides within the Solaris component of Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite, specifically affecting the Zones subcomponent in Solaris version 11.3. This represents a significant security weakness that operates at the operating system level, where virtualization capabilities are compromised. The vulnerability is classified as difficult to exploit, indicating that while it requires specific conditions and circumstances to be successfully leveraged, the potential impact when exploited is substantial. The attack vector requires an attacker to already possess logon access to the infrastructure where Solaris is executing, which places this vulnerability in the context of insider threats or compromised system access scenarios. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system assigns a base score of 4.9, reflecting a medium severity level that encompasses all three core security principles of confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
The technical flaw within the Solaris Zones implementation creates a pathway for unauthorized modifications to system data through update, insert, or delete operations. This vulnerability allows attackers to access a subset of data that Solaris systems can normally access, effectively providing read access to sensitive information that should remain protected. Additionally, the compromise extends to partial denial of service capabilities, where attackers can potentially disrupt system operations and services. The vulnerability's classification under CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) would likely align with CWE-284, which deals with improper access control mechanisms, or potentially CWE-310, focusing on cryptographic weaknesses in system design. The attack requires local access to the system, which means that an attacker must already have some level of access to the host infrastructure, but once achieved, can leverage this weakness to expand their control within the Solaris environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data access, as it can result in unauthorized modifications to critical system data, potentially leading to system instability or data corruption. The partial denial of service aspect means that attackers can disrupt system availability for certain services or operations, affecting system reliability and business continuity. Organizations running Solaris 11.3 with Zones functionality are particularly at risk, as this vulnerability could be exploited to undermine the security isolation that Zones are designed to provide. The compromised integrity of system data could lead to unauthorized modifications of system configurations or critical files, while the confidentiality breach allows for unauthorized access to sensitive information that should remain protected within the system. The availability impact, though partial, could affect critical system services and potentially cascade into broader operational disruptions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-3265 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Solaris systems to the latest security updates provided by Oracle. Organizations should implement strict access controls and monitoring of system logins to minimize the risk of unauthorized access to infrastructure where Solaris is deployed. Network segmentation and least privilege access models should be enforced to limit potential attack surfaces. The implementation of intrusion detection systems and regular security audits can help identify potential exploitation attempts. System administrators should also consider implementing additional monitoring controls specifically for Zones functionality to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability would map to techniques involving privilege escalation and persistence, as attackers could use this weakness to establish more permanent access within the compromised system. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to ensure that similar weaknesses are not present in other components of the Oracle Sun Systems Products Suite. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing comprehensive security monitoring strategies across all system components.