External risk intelligence

Oracle Solaris Privilege Escalation Vulnerability.

CVE advisoryKnown Exploit

CVE-2019-3010

The vulnerability affects the XScreenSaver component of Oracle Solaris. Exploitation requires the attacker to have low-privileged local access to the infrastructure to log on, making it a local-only, post-authentication vulnerability with no network-facing or internet-exposed attack surface in standard deployment patterns.

Oracle Solaris

Halo Surface Signal: 1 out of 5 — much less likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

Oracle Solaris, specifically the XScreenSaver component, has a vulnerability that can be exploited by an attacker with low-privileged access to the system. This flaw allows an attacker to gain control over the Oracle Solaris system, potentially impacting other connected products. Successful exploitation can lead to a complete takeover of the affected Oracle Solaris system.

Vulnerable Oracle Solaris component
Flaw allows unauthorized system control
Business risk of system takeover

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker with legitimate login access to an affected Oracle Solaris system can exploit a vulnerability within the XScreen Saver component. This exploit allows the attacker to gain elevated privileges on the system. Successful exploitation can lead to a complete takeover of the affected Oracle Solaris system, potentially impacting other integrated products and services.

Local access required
Attacker logs in
Triggers vulnerability for control

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

A vulnerability in Oracle Solaris, specifically within the XScreenSaver component, allows for privilege escalation. This could enable a low-privileged attacker with local access to compromise the system, potentially impacting other connected products. Successful exploitation could lead to a complete takeover of the affected Oracle Solaris system.

Likely attacker skill level: Low
Required access or conditions: Local logon access
Business risk or urgency: High impact

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

A vulnerability within Oracle Solaris's XScreenSaver component can allow a low-privileged attacker with local access to compromise the system. Successful exploitation could lead to a full takeover of the Oracle Solaris environment, potentially impacting other connected products. This presents a significant risk to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems.

Find systems running Oracle Solaris.
Restrict local access to affected systems.
Apply vendor patches and verify.

Supplementary metadata

CVSS vector

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Oracle Solaris and its XScreenSaver component?

Oracle Solaris is an operating system. XScreenSaver is a part of it that handles screen locking after periods of inactivity, often used with desktop environments.

What type of weakness is CVE-2019-3010?

CVE-2019-3010 is a privilege escalation vulnerability. This means an attacker with limited access could gain higher privileges, potentially leading to full system control.

How could CVE-2019-3010 be exploited?

An attacker with a low-privileged logon to the infrastructure where Oracle Solaris runs could exploit this vulnerability. It is not triggered by remote access or user interaction.

What is the impact of CVE-2019-3010 on Oracle Solaris?

Successful exploitation of CVE-2019-3010 can result in the complete takeover of Oracle Solaris. This vulnerability can significantly impact additional products beyond Oracle Solaris itself.

What are the recommended steps to address CVE-2019-3010?

To address this vulnerability, identify systems running Oracle Solaris, restrict local access to affected systems, and apply vendor patches. It is also important to verify that patches have been successfully applied.

References

Written by Nicholas Merritt

Nicholas Merritt is VP of Security Solutions at Halo Security. With more than 25 years across application security, vulnerability prioritization, and offensive security, he helps teams translate threat data into practical exposure validation and remediation focus. He authors Halo Threat Intelligence CVE advisories using Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context to prioritize internet-facing risk.