CVE-2020-14871 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A critical vulnerability in the Oracle Solaris product of Oracle Systems has been identified, impacting versions 10 and 11.

Understanding CVE-2020-14871

This CVE involves a significant security flaw in the Pluggable authentication module of Oracle Solaris, allowing unauthenticated attackers to compromise the system.

What is CVE-2020-14871?

The vulnerability in Oracle Solaris versions 10 and 11 enables attackers with network access to potentially take over the system. While the primary impact is on Oracle Solaris, other products may also be affected.

The Impact of CVE-2020-14871

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to a complete takeover of Oracle Solaris, compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-14871

This section provides more in-depth technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to compromise Oracle Solaris via multiple protocols, potentially impacting additional products.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Solaris Operating System
Vendor: Oracle Corporation
Affected Versions: 10, 11

Exploitation Mechanism

Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
Scope: Changed
User Interaction: None
CVSS 3.1 Base Score: 10.0 (Critical)
CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2020-14871 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply security patches provided by Oracle promptly.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activities.
Implement strong network access controls.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software and systems.
Conduct security audits and penetration testing regularly.
Educate users on best security practices to prevent unauthorized access.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that all systems running Oracle Solaris versions 10 and 11 are updated with the latest security patches to mitigate the vulnerability.