CVE-1999-1399: High severity SGI IRIX vulnerability
spaceball program in SpaceWare 7.3 v1.0 in IRIX 6.2 allows local users to gain root privileges by setting the HOSTNAME environmental variable to contain the commands to be executed.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Remove
Remove
SpaceWare 7.3 v1.0 spaceball (IRIX 6.2)from your environment.Uninstall or remove the spaceball program if it is not required.
- Configuration
Ensure the HOSTNAME environment variable is cleared or validated before running the spaceball program; do not allow environment-controlled HOSTNAME values to be interpreted or executed by the program.
SpaceWare 7.3 v1.0 spaceball (IRIX 6.2) HOSTNAME environment variable handling = unset or sanitize - Configuration
Remove elevated execution privileges from the spaceball binary (e.g., remove setuid/root execution) so it does not run with root privileges.
SpaceWare 7.3 v1.0 spaceball (IRIX 6.2) executable privileges = do not run with elevated privileges - Compensating control
Restrict which local users can execute the spaceball binary (apply strict file permissions or local access controls) or isolate affected hosts until a code fix or update is available.
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-1999-1399?
CVE-1999-1399 is classified as a local privilege escalation vulnerability allowing users to gain root privileges.
How do I fix CVE-1999-1399?
To fix CVE-1999-1399, ensure that users do not have the ability to set the HOSTNAME environmental variable to execute arbitrary commands.
Which systems are affected by CVE-1999-1399?
CVE-1999-1399 affects the Spaceball program in SpaceWare 7.3 on SGI IRIX 6.2.
Can CVE-1999-1399 be exploited remotely?
CVE-1999-1399 is a local vulnerability, meaning it cannot be exploited remotely without local access.
What are the potential consequences of exploiting CVE-1999-1399?
Exploiting CVE-1999-1399 can lead to full system compromise with root access to the affected system.