CVE-1999-1142: High severity Sun SunOS vulnerability
SunOS 4.1.2 and earlier allows local users to gain privileges via "LD" environmental variables to certain dynamically linked setuid or setgid programs such as (1) login, (2) su, or (3) sendmail, that change the real and effective user ids to the same user.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Configuration
Ensure LD_* environment variables are cleared or ignored before executing dynamically linked setuid/setgid programs (for example login, su, sendmail). Modify wrappers, startup scripts, or the process invocation environment to unset all LD_* variables prior to running these programs.
login, su, sendmail LD_* environment handling = unset / ignored for setuid/setgid executables - Configuration
Replace dynamically linked setuid/setgid versions of login, su, and sendmail with statically linked equivalents so the dynamic linker (and LD_* environment variables) cannot be used to gain elevated privileges.
login, su, sendmail binaries linkage = statically linked
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-1999-1142?
CVE-1999-1142 is considered a high-severity vulnerability due to its potential for privilege escalation.
How do I fix CVE-1999-1142?
To fix CVE-1999-1142, upgrade SunOS to a version later than 4.1.2 which does not allow LD_* environmental variable exploitation.
Who is affected by CVE-1999-1142?
Local users on SunOS versions 4.1.2 and earlier can be affected by CVE-1999-1142.
What systems are vulnerable to CVE-1999-1142?
SunOS operating systems up to version 4.1.2 are vulnerable to CVE-1999-1142.
What are the implications of CVE-1999-1142?
The implications of CVE-1999-1142 include unauthorized privilege escalation, allowing local users to gain access to restricted functionalities.