CVE-2021-2192 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE • 04/23/2021
Vulnerability in the Oracle Solaris product of Oracle Systems (component: Kernel). The supported version that is affected is 11. Easily exploitable 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 ability to cause a hang or frequently repeatable crash (complete DOS) of Oracle Solaris as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle Solaris accessible data. Note: This vulnerability applies to Oracle Solaris on SPARC systems only. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 6.1 (Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/27/2021
This vulnerability resides within the kernel component of Oracle Solaris version 11 and represents a significant security flaw that affects only SPARC-based systems. The vulnerability is classified as easily exploitable, meaning that an attacker with minimal privileges who already has logon access to the target system can leverage this weakness to compromise the entire operating system. The attack vector requires local access, indicating that the threat actor must first establish a foothold on the system before exploiting this specific kernel flaw. The vulnerability's impact assessment reveals a CVSS base score of 6.1, with particular emphasis on integrity and availability impacts, suggesting that successful exploitation could lead to complete denial of service conditions and unauthorized modifications to system data. The security implications extend beyond simple privilege escalation as this flaw could enable attackers to cause system hangs or repeated crashes that would render the system unusable.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from weaknesses within the kernel's handling of certain system operations on SPARC architectures, where the flaw allows for unauthorized data modification and system disruption. The attack requires low privilege levels and does not necessitate specialized tools or extensive technical knowledge, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by adversaries with basic system access. The vulnerability's characteristics align with common kernel exploitation patterns that have been documented in various security frameworks including CWE categories related to kernel-mode flaws and privilege escalation vulnerabilities. The fact that this affects only SPARC systems indicates that the vulnerability is specific to certain processor architectures and their associated kernel implementations, which limits but does not eliminate the potential impact.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations running Oracle Solaris on SPARC hardware, as it provides a pathway for attackers to gain persistent access to critical systems. The potential for complete denial of service represents a severe availability impact that could disrupt business operations, while the unauthorized update, insert, or delete access to system data creates integrity concerns that could compromise sensitive information. The vulnerability's ability to cause system hangs or repeated crashes directly impacts the availability of services and can lead to extended downtime that affects multiple users and applications. Organizations should consider this vulnerability in the context of broader attack frameworks such as those defined in the MITRE ATT&CK matrix, where kernel-level exploitation typically maps to privilege escalation and persistence tactics. The vulnerability's low attack complexity and requirement for only local access make it particularly concerning for environments where system access might be more easily obtained through social engineering or other initial compromise techniques.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch application from Oracle, which would address the underlying kernel flaw and prevent exploitation. System administrators should also implement additional access controls and monitoring to detect unauthorized local access attempts that could precede exploitation of this vulnerability. Network segmentation and least privilege principles should be enforced to limit the potential impact of local access compromises. The vulnerability's specific targeting of SPARC systems means that organizations with heterogeneous environments should carefully assess their exposure and consider alternative hardware platforms if the risk cannot be adequately mitigated. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include checks for this specific flaw, particularly in systems that handle sensitive data or critical business functions. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure they can effectively respond to potential exploitation attempts that could result in system-wide denial of service conditions or unauthorized data modifications.