CVE-2019-19396 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A vulnerability was discovered in the illumos operating system, specifically in the OmniOS Community Edition prior to version r151030y. This vulnerability can be exploited when an application with multiple threads makes concurrent calls to sendmsg over a single socket, causing a kernel crash. The issue arises from the mishandling of conn_ixa dereferences within the ip_attr.c file of the uts/common/inet/ip component.

Understanding CVE-2019-19396

illumos, as used in OmniOS Community Edition before r151030y, allows a kernel crash via an application with multiple threads calling sendmsg concurrently over a single socket, because uts/common/inet/ip/ip_attr.c mishandles conn_ixa dereferences.

What is CVE-2019-19396?

This CVE refers to a vulnerability in the illumos operating system, specifically affecting the OmniOS Community Edition before version r151030y. The vulnerability allows for a kernel crash when certain conditions are met during concurrent calls to sendmsg over a single socket.

The Impact of CVE-2019-19396

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to a kernel crash in the affected systems.
Attackers could potentially leverage this flaw to disrupt services or execute denial-of-service attacks.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-19396

illumos, as used in OmniOS Community Edition before r151030y, allows a kernel crash via an application with multiple threads calling sendmsg concurrently over a single socket, due to mishandling of conn_ixa dereferences within the ip_attr.c file of the uts/common/inet/ip component.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from the improper handling of conn_ixa dereferences within the ip_attr.c file of the uts/common/inet/ip component in the illumos operating system.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected System: illumos operating system
Affected Version: OmniOS Community Edition before version r151030y

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited when an application with multiple threads makes concurrent calls to sendmsg over a single socket, triggering a kernel crash.

Mitigation and Prevention

It is crucial to take immediate steps to address and prevent the exploitation of CVE-2019-19396.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update to version r151030y or later of OmniOS Community Edition to mitigate the vulnerability.
Monitor for any unusual activity that could indicate exploitation of the vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch the operating system and software to prevent known vulnerabilities.
Implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the impact of potential attacks.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches and updates provided by the vendor promptly to address security vulnerabilities and enhance system resilience.