CVE-2019-2961 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Solaris product of Oracle Systems (component: SMF services & legacy daemons). The supported version that is affected is 11. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Oracle Solaris executes to compromise Oracle Solaris. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle Solaris accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Oracle Solaris. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 3.6 (Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-2961 resides within Oracle Solaris version 11 and specifically affects the Service Management Facility (SMF) services and legacy daemons components. This security flaw represents a significant concern for organizations relying on Solaris operating systems, as it demonstrates how service management mechanisms can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to system resources. The vulnerability's classification as difficult to exploit indicates that while the attack vector requires specific conditions, the potential impact is substantial enough to warrant immediate attention. The CVSS 3.0 base score of 3.6 reflects the moderate severity of the issue, with integrity and availability impacts carrying the highest weight in the assessment.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate access controls within the SMF service management framework, allowing low-privileged attackers who have already established logon access to the Solaris infrastructure to perform unauthorized modifications to system data. This vulnerability specifically targets the legacy daemon processes that operate within the service management context, creating a pathway for attackers to manipulate system services and potentially compromise the integrity of the operating system. The attack requires local access and low privileges, making it particularly dangerous in environments where attackers have already gained initial foothold through other means. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data modification, as it can also enable partial denial of service conditions that affect system availability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability manifests in multiple ways that can significantly compromise system security and reliability. Attackers with access to the affected Solaris systems can exploit this weakness to perform unauthorized updates, inserts, or deletions on sensitive data accessible through the service management framework. The partial denial of service capability means that even if complete system compromise is not achieved, attackers can disrupt critical services and reduce system functionality. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that depend on Solaris for mission-critical applications, as the compromised service management components could lead to cascading failures in system operations. The low privilege requirement and local access condition make this vulnerability particularly concerning for environments where multiple users have access to the same systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-2961 should focus on implementing comprehensive access controls and service management hardening measures. Organizations should ensure that all Solaris systems are updated with the latest security patches provided by Oracle, as these patches address the specific access control issues within the SMF services. Network segmentation and least privilege access principles should be enforced to limit local access to critical systems, reducing the attack surface available to potential adversaries. System administrators should conduct regular audits of service management configurations and monitor for unauthorized service modifications. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues and can be mapped to ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and service manipulation. Additionally, implementing monitoring solutions that detect unusual service management activities and unauthorized data modifications can provide early warning capabilities against exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues within the service management framework that could present additional attack vectors.