Chapter 1
Introduction
The days of the enterprise as a castle — with deep moats and high, thick walls to protect assets from the attack of
marauding invaders — are long gone. Business operations as a lone, well-protected structure with a single, guarded
gateway in and out — both literally and figuratively — is no longer a viable model. Now it seems like everyone and
everything is connected to the network. Businesses may have thousands — even millions — of employees, partners,
suppliers, and customers accessing information and services from homes, hotels, and customer locations. Increasing
connectivity is improving productivity.
Connectivity and access create conflicts and challenges that must be addressed by an environment capable
of delivering comprehensive protection. To operate safely in a connected world, businesses need to secure their
enterprise, with all of the systems, networks, applications, technologies, and users that make it work. How well
an enterprise has deployed and integrated security into its network can be a significant contributor to its overall
productivity. But security is not an object, nor is it simply a list of features. Security is an ongoing discipline that
monitors what’s happening — in an organization and out in the world — and applies this knowledge to the development
and safe deployment of IT resources.
At Sun, this is a lifestyle that we have embraced for more than 20 years. Many Sun products are independently
verified for their security capabilities, while Sun personnel help to drive the new standards-based capabilities in
their work through the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). This work comes together in the Solaris™ 10 Operating
System (OS). The Solaris 10 OS provides comprehensive, in-depth security capable of protecting the enterprise at
multiple levels. It offers a new level of security, enabling today’s enterprises to safely increase access to key
computer systems by their business partners for around-the-clock commerce.
Overview
Security not only protects business assets, it also contributes to availability by reducing unplanned downtime
caused by security compromises. Integrated, dynamic business operations demand flexible, accountable security
models that span the globe while still preserving individual and business rights. Any solution needs to consider
the speed at which new customers, suppliers, and partners are added or removed, as well as new government
mandates such as the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Sarbanes-Oxley, and the
European Union (EU) Directive on Data Protection Act.
Sun Microsystems, Inc. Introduction P1
Security-enabled business operations need protection at many levels — integrated into the IT fabric, not
layered on top of everything. Access to IT resources needs to be very situation and role specific — users should get
to use only the information and services they need to perform their jobs. Assets are protected from unauthorized
use. Data, network traffic, and user information are protected as needed. There is protection at the edge, and
additional protective mechanisms inside the intranet. Systems and processes are monitored. If a system should
be compromised, it should not enable widespread access. Security systems should be safe, right out of the box,
and easily and quickly updated.
Sun and the Solaris 10 OS provide all this and more. The Solaris 10 OS is the foundation for safe IT operations
in a global marketplace.
Sun Microsystems, Inc. P2 Introduction
Chapter 2
Solaris 10 OS Security Highlights
Identity Management
Scenario — Poor Password Management
Company X had no formal password management to speak of. Employees could choose their own passwords —
often a first name, sometimes with a number after it — and were never required to change them. Inevitably, a
security breach happened: A salary and bonus report was posted to an external Web site. Subsequent analysis
showed the same name/password pair was used around the company, sometimes simultaneously from four
different places. The user account belonged to a manager who had left the company three months earlier. Other
name/password pairs also showed signs of multiple users per account, indicating that users had shared their
login information with others.
Passwords are considered the first line of defense in security. The Solaris 10 Operating System improves password
protection by enforcing limits on how long they can be used, how frequently they can be reused, and the
number of login attempts allowed. Passwords can be checked against a database of forbidden text strings —
employee names, for example. Policies on their length, mixing of letters and numbers, and so on can be enforced.
Many password encryption mechanisms ship with the Solaris OS, including MD5, Blowfish, and DES. Solaris software
also supports an extensible mechanism that extends the way passwords are checked and validated. Through the
Pluggable Authentication Module (PAM) architecture, customers can customize password security to fit unique
requirements by changing their password encryption mechanism. While representing a strong first line of defense,
passwords are part of an overall identity management solution.
Identity-Enabled Computing
It is challenging to give employees, partners, and suppliers safe and easy access to the information they need to
be productive. In a dynamic business environment, how does an organization cost-effectively manage secure
access to IT resources?
It starts with comprehensive password management at the point of first contact and continues with Kerberosenabled
single sign-on (SSO) and LDAP authentication to deliver secure single sign-on capabilities across multiple
operating systems. End-to-end identity management solutions can be achieved by integrating the computing
infrastructure with the Sun Java™ Enterprise System security products.
Sun Microsystems, Inc. Solaris 10 OS Security Highlights P3
User identity attributes are often stored in many different places and formats within a company. There is no
single authoritative source where user access privilege and profile information can be store and retrieved. In fact,
there are many reasons why it is not practical to consolidate such information — lack of trust, incomplete technology,
dubious cost-effectiveness, giving up organizational control, and so on. For these reasons and more, Sun
provides single sign-on capabilities throughout corporate intranets, using the Kerberos standards as well as userID/
password management, through a nonintrusive concept called federated identity management that integrates
the management of distributed data stores while leaving identity information in its native locations. When combined
with state-of-the-art techniques for the management of access privileges and entitlements, a federated identity
management network enables a company to integrate its disparate business operations. By doing so, the benefits
that can be leveraged include increased revenues, reduced costs, and gaining a massive competitive edge.
Sun’s identity management suite provides current, consistent, and accurate identity information within and
across enterprise boundaries. Sun identity management products — Java System Directory Server Enterprise
Edition, Java System Access Manager, and Java System Identity Manager — provide a complete solution that
replaces manual methods with automated, flexible, rules-driven processes. The Solaris 10 OS includes enhanced
identity management with centralized management capabilities.
1. Secure LDAP authentication enables user names, passwords, network configuration, home directories, and
other common identity attributes to be centrally stored in the included enterprise-class LDAP directory server.
Sun includes a license for 200,000 user entries of the Java System Directory Server for exactly this purpose.
UserIDs and passwords are protected while on the network using military-strength, SSL-encrypted communications;
when stored in the LDAP directory, similar strong encryption is used.
2. The LDAP authentication methods have been enhanced to utilize the Generic Security Services API (GSS-API)
and Simple Authentication and Security Layer (SASL), two standards for flexible authentication mechanisms.
This provides interoperability with Kerberos and improved interoperability with Microsoft Active Directory.
The Solaris 10 OS implements open, interoperable standards that enable secure enterprise-wide administration
of computing infrastructures.
3. Sun Enterprise Authentication Mechanism™ (SEAM) software implements the Kerberos v5 standards. Interoperability
with Microsoft Active Directory and other Kerberos single sign-on systems is easily achieved. The result
is increased security and reduced costs by centralizing the management of user identities.
4. Remote access and file sharing commands, such as Telnet, rcp, rsh, rlogin, and NFS, are enhanced in the
Solaris 10 OS to interoperate with Sun Enterprise Authentication Mechanism and Kerberos v5 systems. Users’
enterprise identity is securely carried with them throughout their remote access and file sharing uses.
All together, identity-enabled computing provides visibility and control over access to corporate assets as they
are shared across the entire value chain.
Sun Microsystems, Inc. P4 Solaris 10 OS Security Highlights
Authentication
Scenario —Too Many Passwords and Too Much Power
Organization Y has seven large systems, though most people need access to only four: Their department’s main
system, e-mail server, company portal server, and remote access system. The management team takes security
seriously and enforces a policy that requires a different password for each system, which must be renewed every
60 days. Passwords have to be at least eight characters and cannot contain real words. Many people have been
granted superuser access to the system in order to manage privileged operations such as print queue administration.
Despite — or perhaps because of — all this, 300 MB of unlicensed music files were posted on the portal server,
and analysis showed they were accessed more than 5000 times. It’s hard to pin down exactly where the passwords
were compromised — when a PDA fell out of a coat pocket at the airport or when any of the printouts used by
many employees to record passwords fell into the trash, which the cleaning crew delivered to the dumpster.
Who You Are and What You Can Do
A single sign-on facility is a partial and well-known solution to the problem of multiple passwords. Unfortunately,
people in general are not very good at remembering good passwords, such as those containing upper and lower
case characters, mixes of letters and numbers, and so on — especially if they have to change them frequently. And
if a single sign-on password is compromised (lost or stolen), then the new user has access to everything allowed
for that user account.
Smart cards, including the Java Card™ platform, when coupled with passwords ensure that the people using
the system are who they say they are. Using multifactor authentication (something known, such as a PIN, and
something you possess, such as a one-time password generator or digital certificate) provides an extremely high
degree of certainty that a user is authentic. This enables enterprises to create an IT environment that enables
employees to work anywhere — floating offices, in the field, or at home.
The Solaris OS supports many smart card APIs, including the Java Card platform, Solaris Smart Card Framework,
MUSCLECard open source IFD drivers, PKCS #11, and PC/SC Lite smart cards. Strong authentication can be enabled
through built-in smart card interfaces or virtually all of the USB-enabled smart card readers.
Once a user is authenticated, granting access privileges is the next step. Users should have access only to the
applications (and in some cases, only some features within an application) they need according to the role they
serve within the organization. The Solaris 10 OS supports Solaris User Rights Management, which covers individuals
and groups, and restricts access to selected applications and other Solaris 10 OS functions. This increases security
by reducing the chances of administrative errors or accidental/malicious use of IT resources. Using the Solaris
Role-Based Access Control capabilities of Solaris User Rights Management, privileged users can be granted just
the capabilities needed to run a select number of commands consistent with their needs rather than being granted
full superuser access to the system. Solaris Role-Based Access Control information is centrally managed for reduced
administration cost and increased flexibility for rapidly changing business requirements. Effective security reduces
downtime, raises quality of service, and keeps costs low.
Sun Microsystems, Inc. Solaris 10 OS Security Highlights P5
Containment
Scenario — Hacker Attack
Company Z thought it was doing everything right. Management used a firewall to protect their network infrastructure,
and passwords were secured using MD5 encryption. Still, a determined hacker sent a request for information
to the Webmaster and took note of the IP addresses contained in the return message header. A few days’
worth of traffic was collected, analyzed by the hacker, and a simple exploit to the company's Web server was
found. After a few minutes, the hacker was in. Once past the firewall and into the main network, there was very
little additional security. It only took a little more time and effort to get what he wanted: The credit card database.
Sometimes, even when nearly everything conceivable is done, hackers get through. The Solaris 10 OS offers
strong perimeter protection, making it very difficult to break through the firewall. If hackers do penetrate it, in-depth
protection and containment help limit any potential damage. The Solaris 10 OS offers many ways to protect systems
from break-ins, and to contain them if such events do occur.
1. The built-in stateful Solaris IP Filter firewall controls interaction of services on the network. Solaris IP Filter
firewall can control access to IP services not only at the gateway, but also to systems inside the firewall.
Solaris IP Filter firewall is fully supported by Sun.
2. Solaris Containers (formerly N1™ Grid Containers) technology offers a way to virtualize system resources and
use multiple software partitions within one instance of the operating system. By providing a virtual, securityisolated
instance of the Solaris OS — including separate IP addresses and root passwords — where applications
can be run, it isolates the application and other associated resources and hides system details. This powerful
capability enables businesses to consolidate resources without compromising security. It is now possible to
host multiple, competing customer or supplier applications on the same system while isolating each set of
processes from the others.
3. Solaris Process Rights Management, enabled through Solaris Privileges, provides fine-grained control of the
security of services and applications, increasing security and helping prevent them from being used to compromise
a system or the data within it. Privileges assigned to processes are restricted only to those necessary
to perform its function, reducing exposure to security exploits. This limits what processes can do, regardless
of the user — unprivileged processes cannot do damage to the overall system. System administrators can
deploy Solaris Process Rights Management to existing applications without modifying any code, and user
retraining is not required.
Sun Microsystems, Inc. P6 Solaris 10 OS Security Highlights
Chapter 3
Solaris 10 OS Security Technology
The Solaris 10 Operating System offers superior security that helps to protect an IT infrastructure from the
moment the software is installed. This release contains many new features and capabilities, extending Sun’s
proven history of delivering the protection enterprises need.
System-Level Security
Enhanced Security at Installation
The Solaris 10 OS offers unparalleled built-in security. For administrators who want to customize their installation,
the Solaris 10 OS offers the Reduced Networking metacluster — the smallest, most secure install of Solaris software
to date. In the near future, the Solaris 10 OS is scheduled to feature a new Services Management Infrastructure and
add enhanced security settings as an install-time choice. When customers choose the enhanced security settings,
Solaris 10 software protects the system from attack and misuse by disabling many commonly unused services.
The system helps ensure usability by enabling local-only access to many other useful services, such as the GNOME
or CDE desktop. For administrators who want protection during remote installations, the Solaris 10 OS features
the SSL-encrypted WAN boot capability. Administration costs can be reduced and security enhanced by enabling
centralized installation of remote systems.
Easier Implementation of Best Practices
The Solaris Security Toolkit is based on best practices in the real world and was created as part of the Sun BluePrints™
program. Informally known as the JumpStart™ Architecture and Security Scripts (JASS) Toolkit, it provides a flexible
and extensible mechanism to minimize, harden, and secure Solaris OS systems according to the server’s function.
It is based on the best practices of thousands of customer installations by Sun Services, and the resulting systems
are also supported by Sun Services.
Sun Microsystems, Inc. Solaris 10 OS Security Technology P7
The Trusted Solaris™ OS: For Government and Commercial Use
Once designed only for government use, the Trusted Solaris™ OS is being embraced by commercial organizations
as well. It separates users, data, and resources, specifically granting access from users and processes. Elimination
of the superuser and dividing these functions into multiple roles makes system penetration far more difficult. A
combination of labeling all objects, clearance levels for each user, and strong audit capabilities makes all users
accountable and all actions traceable, greatly diminishing the risk of security violations. Trojan horses, such as
programs to intercept passwords or other sensitive data, are prevented by a graphical user interface and protocol.
Mandatory Access Controls enforce a hierarchical compartmentalization of information, protecting sensitive information
from general use.
Common Criteria certification represents Sun’s commitment to the highest levels of security. Sun’s longstanding
practice of independently validating the security of the Solaris OS continues forward into Solaris 10 and Trusted
Solaris software. The Solaris 10 OS is targeted at Controlled Access Protection Profile (CAPP) and Role-Based Access
Control Protection Profile (RBACPP) at Evaluation Assurance Level 4+ (EAL 4+). The Trusted Solaris OS is the only
enterprise-class OS that has been independently certified under Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 4+
(EAL 4+) with three critical protection profiles: Labeled Security Protection Profile (LSPP), Controlled Access Protection
Profile (CAPP), and Role-Based Access Control Protection Profile (RBACPP). All in all, it delivers proven protection.
Prevention of Stack Buffer Overflow Exploits
Stack buffer overflows enable many types of attacks. The Solaris 10 OS provides protection against exploits arising
from stack buffer overflows with all 64-bit applications, and optionally for all 32-bit applications, through a simple
configuration setting. Core system administration utilities also provide this protection by default. ISVs and corporate
developers can link into designated libraries, protecting their application. This functionality is available for SPARC®
and AMD64 processors, and unavailable on any operating system running on the Intel IA-32 platform due to limitations
in the architecture of these CPUs.
Automated Patch Management
As new threats appear, Sun is committed to providing the tools and updates customers need to protect their
systems. Solaris Patch Manager automatically gets the right patch for each system in the form of digitally-signed
(verified) .jar files. Patches can be pushed to multiple servers and installed as required. Automated patch management
enables administrators to be more productive and helps maintain systems at the highest levels of protection.
Accountability
Auditing
The ability to track what’s happened on a system is a cornerstone of strong security as well as a regulatory and
liability requirement. Auditing monitors system configuration changes and user activity, and watches for malicious
behavior.
1. File Integrity. New in the Solaris 10 OS is the Solaris Basic Audit and Reporting Tool (BART). BART enables
customers to generate digital signatures of files and attributes to those files, and compare them over time to
check for changes.
Sun Microsystems, Inc. P8 Solaris 10 OS Security Technology
2. System-Level Files and Executables. The Solaris Fingerprint Database (sfpDB) is used to verify that a file or
executable has not been changed from an official binary distribution; an altered version may compromise
system security and cause other types of problems. It compares an MD5 digital fingerprint with the trusted
entry stored in the sfpDB and instantly identifies mismatches. This tool is accessed through a free Web interface
located on the SunSolvesm Web site at sunsolve.sun.com.
Sun also delivers digitally signed executables, binaries, and drivers for almost all of the Solaris 10 OS.
Initially, system administrators can manually verify that an executable has not been modified or hacked.
Administrators may also sign and verify their own in-house code or third-party executables as well. In a future
update of the Solaris 10 OS, the system kernel itself will be able to dynamically verify the integrity of these
files at run time, thus ensuring a high-integrity computing environment.
3. Auditing Tools. Solaris auditing tools track kernel, application, and user activity with fine-grained control.
Solaris audit trails can be stored on a centralized system for later analysis. Administrators can continuously
monitor and verify virtually any file or executable to check for changes.
Together, any file can be watched and alerts generated if there are changes. File and executable integrity can
be maintained.
Secure Communication
Ensuring private data connections is the foundation of network-based business. The Solaris OS provides many
different mechanisms to secure network traffic. Secure communication products now use the Solaris Cryptographic
Framework, which delivers an across-the-board performance improvement of 15–130 percent.
1. IPSec provides a strong, standards-based framework for securing TCP data communication. Internet Key
Exchange (IKE) manages the necessary encryption/decryption keys. IPSec/IKE can secure almost any protocol
without changing the application in both IPv4 and IPv6 environments. Strong encryption is supplied by DES,
3DES, AES, and Blowfish, with support for X.509 certificates.
2. Solaris Secure Shell encrypts remote sessions, verifies both users and hosts, and hides passwords over the
network. This latest version features enhanced encryption support and integrates with Kerberos authentication
for enterprise single sign-on use.
3. OpenSSL, an open source set of libraries for secured Web transactions, is integrated with the Solaris Cryptographic
Framework in the Solaris 10 OS. It delivers high-performance cryptographic algorithms and transparent hardware
acceleration, improving throughput to secure Web servers. Out-of-the-box support for encrypted Web
pages from an Apache Web server is also included in the Solaris 10 OS.
4. TCP Wrapper support enables administrators to grant access to specific services based on a domain name, for
example, allowing FTP file transfer and SMTP e-mail access to everyone in engineering while denying access
to sales and manufacturing. By selectively providing services to just those systems that need it, risk is reduced
while availability is increased.
5. Solaris Enterprise Authentication Mechanism (SEAM) software provides strongly authenticated and encrypted
file sharing through the NFS standard. This prevents rogue system administrators from inappropriately accessing
individual data via the network file server. Solaris Enterprise Authentication Mechanism software in the Solaris
10 OS utilizes the Solaris Cryptographic Framework for strong, accelerated 3DES and AES Kerberos sessions.
Sun Microsystems, Inc. Solaris 10 OS Security Technology P9
Chapter 4
Strong Security in Your Enterprise
Your business and its employees, management, partners, and suppliers depend on well-implemented security.
Beyond protecting intellectual property and preventing misuse of systems, security helps maintain availability
and service levels.
How can you protect your enterprise? Work toward a goal of applying security pervasively and in depth — to
every node, every device, every user, every IT asset, and every resource. Create and enforce an enterprise security
policy that represents a coherent and comprehensive security architecture, and ensure that all devices and users
conform to it.
Sun and the Solaris Operating System assist companies in achieving the secure enterprise, with products and
technologies that have security designed and defined from the outset and provide protection by default. Strong,
intrinsic security enables business commerce, reduces unplanned downtime, and increases services levels.
Sun has helped thousands of organizations with security assessment, planning, deployment, and support.
Contact your Sun representative for more information on any of these services.
Security is a moving target, and Sun continues to invest. The Solaris 10 OS is the best example yet of our
commitment.
More Information
Sun Microsystems, Inc. P10 Strong Security in Your Enterprise
Sun Security Information
Sun Security Home Page • sun.com/security
Solaris OS Security • sun.com/solaris
• sun.com/security/jass
Trusted Solaris OS • sun.com/solaris/trustedsolaris
Java Platform Security • java.sun.com/security
Network and Security Products • sun.com/servers/entry/checkpoint
• sun.com/networking
Solaris OS Patches and Fingerprint Database • sunsolve.sun.com
Sun Security Coordination Team • sunsolve.sun.com/security
Sun BluePrints for Security • sun.com/blueprints
• sun.com/software/security/blueprints
Sun Security Information
Sun Consulting Security Services • sun.com/service/sunps/security
Sun Education Security Services • suned.sun.com/US/catalog
Sun Support Services • sun.com/service/support
Additional Security Resources on the Web
Network and Security Products • humanfirewall.org
Generally Accepted System Security Principles (GASSP) • web.mit.edu/security/www/gassp1.html
NSA INFOSEC Assessment Methodology • certtest.com/nsa-iam.html
Operationally Critical Threat, Asset, and Vulnerability • cert.org/octave
Evaluation (OCTAVE)
Sun Microsystems, Inc. Strong Security in Your Enterprise P11
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