dbcve.org
OpensolarisOperating system · Sun

CVE-2008-0965

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-08-08
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Multiple format string vulnerabilities in snoop on Sun Solaris 8 through 10 and OpenSolaris before snv_96, when the -o option is omitted, allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via format string specifiers in an SMB packet.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The snoop utility on Sun Solaris 8-10 and OpenSolaris contains format string vulnerabilities when invoked without the -o option. Attackers can inject format string specifiers (%n, %s, etc.) into SMB packets, which get processed by the vulnerable code path, allowing arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges.

MitigationApply vendor patches from Oracle for affected Solaris versions, or upgrade OpenSolaris to snv_96 or later. As a workaround, avoid using snoop without the -o option or implement network filtering to block untrusted SMB traffic reaching systems running snoop.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
OpensolarisOperating system
Affected:all versions<= build_snv_95= build_snv_01= build_snv_02= build_snv_13= build_snv_19= build_snv_22= build_snv_64= build_snv_88= build_snv_89= build_snv_91= build_snv_92
SolarisOperating system
Affected:= 8= 9= 10
SunosOperating system
Affected:= 5.8= 5.9= 5.10

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Solaris or OpenSolaris version
    Run 'uname -a' or 'cat /etc/release' to determine the OS version and build number
    Affected if The version is Solaris 8, 9, or 10; SunOS 5.8, 5.9, or 5.10; or any OpenSolaris build up to snv_95, or specifically builds snv_01, snv_02, snv_13, snv_19, snv_22, snv_64, snv_88, snv_89, snv_91, or snv_92
  2. Verify snoop utility is installed
    Run 'which snoop' or 'ls -l /usr/sbin/snoop' to confirm snoop is present on the system
    Affected if The snoop command exists on the system and the OS version falls within the affected ranges
  3. Check if snoop is used without the -o option
    Review any scripts, cron jobs, or manual usage of snoop to see if it is invoked without the -o flag (which triggers the vulnerable code path)
    Affected if Snoop is being run without the -o option (e.g., 'snoop' or 'snoop -v' without -o) and the OS is in the affected version list
  4. Determine if the system processes SMB traffic
    Check if SMB services (smbd, nmbd) are running via 'ps -ef | grep -i smb' or if SMB ports (445, 139) are open via 'netstat -an | grep -E "(139|445)"'
    Affected if The system runs SMB services or listens on SMB ports, making it a potential target for malformed SMB packets

You are affected if you run an unpatched Solaris 8/9/10, SunOS 5.8/5.9/5.10, or OpenSolaris build up to snv_95 (or the specific builds listed) and use the snoop utility without the -o option while processing network traffic that could include SMB packets from untrusted sources.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply vendor patches from Oracle for affected Solaris versions, or upgrade OpenSolaris to snv_96 or later. As a workaround, avoid using snoop without the -o option or implement network filtering to block untrusted SMB traffic reaching systems running snoop.

Recommended fix High confidence

OpenSolaris snv_96 or later; Oracle Solaris 10 Patch Cluster (contact Oracle for specific CVE-2008-0965 patch)

  1. 1. Identify the current OpenSolaris build version using 'uname -a' or 'cat /etc/release'
  2. 2. If running OpenSolaris build snv_95 or earlier, download and install OpenSolaris snv_96 or later from the OpenSolaris archives or Oracle's download channels
  3. 3. For Solaris 8, 9, 10 systems, obtain the relevant patch from Oracle SunSolve (search for CVE-2008-0965 or snoop format string vulnerability patches)
  4. 4. Apply the Oracle patch following standard patch deployment procedures for your Solaris version
  5. 5. Verify the snoop command version has been updated and test that the vulnerability is addressed
  6. 6. Restart any services that utilize snoop if necessary
Caveat Upgrading OpenSolaris may introduce changes in other packages or libraries - review release notes for snv_96 before deploying in production

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Opensolaris Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2008-0965 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data