Oracle Solaris PAM (Pluggable Authentication Module) Stack-Based Buffer Overflow Remote Code Execution (CVE-2020-14871)
Executive & SecOps Summary
SECOPS ASSESSMENTOracle Solaris 10 and Solaris 11 (prior to version 11.1)
Unauthenticated remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability over the network to gain full root privileges and take over the system
Apply the official vendor patches immediately, or disable Keyboard-Interactive authentication and PAM usage in the SSH configuration
Affected Products & Version Scope
Remediation & Live Workaround Commands
PATCH & WORKAROUND1. Official Patch & Version Upgrade Commands
Upgrade the operating system to Solaris 11.1 or later to resolve the vulnerability.
# Update Solaris 11 packages
pkg update --accept
# Reboot the system to apply changes
init 62. Temporary Workaround & Hardening Configuration
If patching is not immediately feasible, mitigate the risk by disabling PAM and Keyboard-Interactive authentication in /etc/ssh/sshd_config.
# Modify SSH configuration to disable PAM and Keyboard-Interactive authentication
sed -i 's/^PAMEnabled.*/PAMEnabled no/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
sed -i 's/^ChallengeResponseAuthentication.*/ChallengeResponseAuthentication no/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
sed -i 's/^KbdInteractiveAuthentication.*/KbdInteractiveAuthentication no/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
# Restart the SSH service
svcadm restart network/ssh3. Log Audit & IoC Verification Commands
Verify the current OS version and inspect system logs for potential exploitation attempts or segmentation faults.
# Check the current Solaris release version
uname -a
cat /etc/release
# Audit system logs for SSH anomalies and core dumps
grep -i 'failed' /var/adm/messages
grep -i 'core dumped' /var/adm/messagesBlock Kernel Privilege Escalation & Ransomware Payloads Before You Can Reboot
Protect unpatched Windows, Linux, and macOS workloads against in-memory exploitation and lateral movement with autonomous EDR.
Technical Root Cause & Exploitation Mechanics
1. Vulnerability Overview & Root Cause
This vulnerability (CVE-2020-14871) is a critical stack-based buffer overflow (CWE-787) residing in the parse_user_name() function of the Pluggable Authentication Module (PAM) library in Oracle Solaris. The root cause is the lack of proper boundary validation when copying user-supplied usernames into a fixed-size stack buffer during the authentication process.
2. Exploitation Mechanics & Attack Scenario
An unauthenticated attacker initiates a connection to a network service that utilizes PAM, such as SunSSH. By sending an engineered, excessively long username string during the authentication phase, the attacker overflows the stack buffer, overwriting the return address of the stack frame. This allows the execution of arbitrary shellcode with root privileges without requiring prior authentication.
3. Infrastructure & Business Impact
With a CVSS score of 10.0 and its inclusion in the CISA KEV catalog, this vulnerability poses an extreme risk to enterprise environments. Successful exploitation grants complete administrative control over the affected host, enabling attackers to exfiltrate sensitive data, deploy malware, and pivot laterally across the internal network.
Official Vendor Advisories & References
Vulnerability in the Oracle Solaris product of Oracle Systems (component: Pluggable authentication module). Supported versions that are affected are 10 and 11. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via multiple protocols to compromise Oracle Solaris. While the vulnerability is in Oracle Solaris, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Oracle Solaris. Note: This CVE is not exploitable for Solaris 11.1 and later releases, and ZFSSA 8.7 and later releases, thus the CVSS Base Score is 0.0. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 10.0 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).
Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2020-14871)
FAQQ1. How critical is CVE-2020-14871 and is it actively exploited in the wild?
CVE-2020-14871 is rated CVSS 10.0 (CRITICAL) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 80.2%. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring immediate emergency remediation.
Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2020-14871?
Primary impacted vendors include oracle across solaris. Scope summary: Oracle Solaris 10 and Solaris 11 (prior to version 11.1). (Solaris 11.1 or later, and ZFSSA 8.7 or later are not affected)
Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2020-14871 before patching?
[Mitigation] Apply the official vendor patches immediately, or disable Keyboard-Interactive authentication and PAM usage in the SSH configuration Follow the CLI remediation commands and interactive SecOps checklist on this page to restrict exposure prior to your maintenance window.
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