CVE-2019-3008 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Solaris product of Oracle Systems (component: LDAP Library). The supported version that is affected is 11. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows high privileged attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Oracle Solaris executes to compromise Oracle Solaris. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Oracle Solaris. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 1.8 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L).
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-3008 resides within the LDAP Library component of Oracle Solaris version 11, representing a significant security weakness that requires careful analysis of its exploitation conditions and potential impacts. This vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration framework as CWE-20, which encompasses "Improper Input Validation," indicating that the flaw stems from inadequate validation of input parameters within the LDAP library functions. The attack vector analysis reveals that exploitation requires local privileged access, meaning an attacker must already possess legitimate login credentials to the target system, which significantly reduces the attack surface but does not eliminate the risk entirely.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the LDAP library's handling of specific input parameters that fail to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied data, potentially leading to unexpected behavior within the system's directory services. This weakness allows for a partial denial of service condition where the attacker can disrupt normal operations without achieving complete system compromise. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system places this vulnerability at a base score of 1.8, which reflects the minimal impact on confidentiality and integrity but indicates a low-level availability impact that can affect system operations. The vector notation AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L clearly demonstrates that the attack requires local access with high privileges, human interaction from a third party, and results in a limited availability impact.
The operational implications of this vulnerability extend beyond simple service disruption, as it represents a potential entry point for more sophisticated attacks that could escalate privileges or gain additional system access. The requirement for human interaction suggests that this vulnerability might be exploited through social engineering or by leveraging legitimate administrative processes, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrative tasks require user confirmation. Security professionals should note that while the vulnerability's impact is classified as partial denial of service, the low score does not diminish its importance, especially in mission-critical systems where even partial service disruption can have significant business impacts. Organizations should implement layered security controls that include regular patch management, privileged access monitoring, and user behavior analytics to detect potential exploitation attempts.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-3008 should focus on maintaining current Oracle Solaris patches and updates, implementing strict access controls for system administrators, and monitoring for unusual LDAP activity patterns. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework as a privilege escalation technique through system services emphasizes the need for comprehensive monitoring of system calls and service interactions. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit the potential impact of any successful exploitation attempts, particularly in environments where Solaris systems interact with critical enterprise services. The requirement for human interaction in successful exploitation creates an opportunity for additional defensive measures such as user education and process verification protocols that can help prevent unauthorized individuals from completing the attack chain.