CVE-1999-1139: High severity HPE HP-UX vulnerability
Character-Terminal User Environment (CUE) in HP-UX 11.0 and earlier allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files and gain root privileges via a symlink attack on the IOERROR.mytty file.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Remove
Remove
Character-Terminal User Environment (CUE)from your environment.If CUE is not required on the system, uninstall or disable the Character-Terminal User Environment (CUE) component to eliminate the vulnerable functionality that permits local users to overwrite files via IOERROR.mytty.
- Configuration
Ensure the IOERROR.mytty file is owned and writable only by root and not writable by unprivileged local users. Adjust ownership and permissions so unprivileged users cannot create or overwrite IOERROR.mytty, preventing symlink-based overwrites.
Character-Terminal User Environment (CUE) IOERROR.mytty file permissions = remove write permission for unprivileged/local users (root-only write)
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-1999-1139?
CVE-1999-1139 is considered critical due to its potential to allow local users to gain root privileges.
How do I fix CVE-1999-1139?
To mitigate CVE-1999-1139, remove or restrict permissions on the IOERROR.mytty file and consider upgrading to a later version of HP-UX.
What systems are affected by CVE-1999-1139?
CVE-1999-1139 affects local users on HP-UX 11.0 and earlier versions.
What kind of attack does CVE-1999-1139 involve?
CVE-1999-1139 involves a symlink attack that allows users to overwrite arbitrary files.
Can CVE-1999-1139 be exploited remotely?
CVE-1999-1139 cannot be exploited remotely as it requires local user access to the system.