CVE-1999-0309: High severity HPE HP-UX vulnerability

Published Feb 1, 1997
·
Updated

HP-UX vgdisplay program gives root access to local users.

Affected Software

5 affected components
HPE HP-UX=10.01
HPE HP-UX=10.00
HPE HP-UX=10.24
HPE HP-UX=10.20
HPE HP-UX=10.10

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Remove

    Remove HP-UX/vgdisplay from your environment.

    Remove or disable the vgdisplay binary on affected systems until a vendor-supplied patch/fix is available. If removal is not feasible, rename the executable or move it out of users' PATH to prevent local users from running it.

  2. Compensating control

    Restrict who can log in or execute system administration utilities on affected HP-UX hosts. Limit local interactive logins to trusted administrator accounts and use filesystem permissions (e.g., restrict execute permission on the vgdisplay binary) or access controls to prevent non-administrative users from running vgdisplay.

  3. Operational

    Audit systems for signs of unauthorized privilege escalation via vgdisplay (review authentication and sudo/su logs, check for unexpected root-owned processes). Rotate credentials and keys for any accounts that may have been exposed or used by local users with elevated access, and rebuild or reimage compromised hosts as needed.

Event History

Feb 1, 1997
CVE Published
05:00 AM
Data Sourced
via NVD·05:00 AM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Sep 29, 1999
CVE Published
via MITRE·08:00 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·08:00 AM
Description

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-1999-0309?

CVE-1999-0309 is considered a high severity vulnerability allowing unauthorized root access.

2

How do I fix CVE-1999-0309?

To fix CVE-1999-0309, update to a secure version of HP-UX that addresses this vulnerability.

3

Which versions of HP-UX are affected by CVE-1999-0309?

CVE-1999-0309 affects HP-UX versions 10.00, 10.01, 10.10, 10.20, and 10.24.

4

Who can exploit CVE-1999-0309?

CVE-1999-0309 can be exploited by local users with access to the affected HP-UX system.

5

What is the impact of CVE-1999-0309?

The impact of CVE-1999-0309 is the potential for local users to gain root privileges, compromising system security.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203