CVE-1999-0040: Buffer Overflow

Published May 1, 1997
·
Updated

Buffer overflow in Xt library of X Windowing System allows local users to execute commands with root privileges.

Affected Software

43 affected components
SGI IRIX=5.3
SGI IRIX=4.0
SGI IRIX=6.1
SGI IRIX=6.4
SGI IRIX=5.0
SGI IRIX=6.0
SGI IRIX=6.3
SGI IRIX=6.2
Sun SunOS=5.3
HP HP-UX=10.30
NEC Ews-ux V=4.2mp
HP HP-UX=9.10
Sun SunOS=4.1.4
HP HP-UX=10.01
Sun Solaris=2.4
HP HP-UX=10.00
Sun Solaris=2.5.1
Sun Solaris=2.5
IBM AIX=4.2
BSDI Bsd Os=2.0
FreeBSD FreeBSD=1.1.5.1
HP HP-UX=10.34
NEC Asl Ux 4800=64
Sun SunOS=5.5
NEC Ews-ux V=4.2
BSDI Bsd Os=2.1
HP HP-UX=10.24
HP HP-UX=9.00
Sun SunOS=5.4
HP HP-UX=10.08
Sun SunOS=5.5.1
HP HP-UX=10.20
Sun SunOS=4.1.3u1
Sun SunOS=4.1.3
BSDI Bsd Os=2.0.1
HP HP-UX=9.01
IBM AIX=4.1
HP HP-UX=10.09
IBM AIX=3.2
HP HP-UX=10.10
NEC Up-ux V=4.2mp
FreeBSD FreeBSD=2.0
HP HP-UX=10.16

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Remove

    Remove X Window System (Xt library) from your environment.

    If the Xt library is not required on a host, uninstall or remove the Xt library from affected systems to eliminate the vulnerable component.

  2. Compensating control

    Restrict local user access and privileges on systems running the Xt library (disable or remove untrusted local accounts, restrict interactive logins, and enforce least-privilege policies) to mitigate potential local privilege escalation to root.

  3. Operational

    Investigate logs and system integrity for signs of local privilege escalation; if compromise is suspected, isolate affected hosts, perform incident response and restore from known-good backups before returning systems to production.

Event History

May 1, 1997
CVE Published
04:00 AM
Data Sourced
via NVD·04:00 AM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Sep 29, 1999
CVE Published
via MITRE·08:00 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·08:00 AM
Description
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-1999-0040?

CVE-1999-0040 is classified as a high severity vulnerability due to the potential for local users to execute commands with root privileges.

2

How do I fix CVE-1999-0040?

To fix CVE-1999-0040, update the Xt library of the affected versions of the X Windowing System to a patched version issued by your software vendor.

3

Which software is affected by CVE-1999-0040?

CVE-1999-0040 affects various versions of SGI IRIX, Sun SunOS, HPE HP-UX, FreeBSD, and other Unix-based operating systems.

4

Can CVE-1999-0040 be exploited remotely?

CVE-1999-0040 cannot be exploited remotely as it requires local access to the system.

5

What impact does CVE-1999-0040 have on systems?

The impact of CVE-1999-0040 includes unauthorized command execution with root privileges, potentially leading to complete system compromise.

Contact

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