CVE-1999-1554: Low severity SGI IRIX vulnerability

Published Oct 31, 1990

Updated

/usr/sbin/Mail on SGI IRIX 3.3 and 3.3.1 does not properly set the group ID to the group ID of the user who started Mail, which allows local users to read the mail of other users.

Affected Software

2 affected components

SGI IRIX=3.3

SGI IRIX=3.3.1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

Remove
Remove SGI IRIX /usr/sbin/Mail from your environment.
If the Mail program is not required on the system, remove or uninstall /usr/sbin/Mail to eliminate the vulnerable component.
Configuration
Remove the set-group-ID bit from /usr/sbin/Mail so it does not run with elevated group privileges (for example: chmod g-s /usr/sbin/Mail).
SGI IRIX /usr/sbin/Mail set-group-ID (sgid) bit = disabled
Configuration
Restrict mail spool file permissions so only the owning user can read their mail (for example: chmod 600 /var/spool/mail/* or /var/mail/*).
mail spool files permissions = 0600

Event History

Oct 31, 1990

CVE Published

05:00 AM

Data Sourced

via NVD·05:00 AM

RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Sep 12, 2001

CVE Published

via MITRE·08:00 AM

Data Sourced

via MITRE·08:00 AM

Description

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the severity of CVE-1999-1554?

CVE-1999-1554 is considered a high severity vulnerability due to its potential to allow local users to access other users' mail.

How do I fix CVE-1999-1554?

To fix CVE-1999-1554, it is recommended to apply the necessary patches provided by SGI or upgrade to a secure version of IRIX.

Who is affected by CVE-1999-1554?

CVE-1999-1554 affects users of SGI IRIX versions 3.3 and 3.3.1.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-1999-1554?

CVE-1999-1554 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability.

Can CVE-1999-1554 be exploited remotely?

No, CVE-1999-1554 can only be exploited by local users on the affected SGI IRIX systems.