Is CVE-1999-0131 exploited in the wild?

No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-1999-0131 being exploited in the wild.

How severe is CVE-1999-0131?

High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.2, published 11 September 1996.

Which products and versions are affected?

Sendmail Sendmail 8.7.5 and earlier.

Is there a fix for CVE-1999-0131?

No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

How is CVE-1999-0131 attacked?

It is attacked with local access, in an operating system.

Am I affected by CVE-1999-0131?

Check whether anything you run is named in the advisory. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

CVE-1999-0131: Sendmail buffer overflow in GECOS field

CVE-1999-0131 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.2 · Published 1996-09-11

A vulnerability in Sendmail, a widely used mail transfer agent, allows local users to gain full administrative control over the system. By exploiting a flaw in how the software handles user information fields, an attacker can crash the service or execute malicious commands with the highest level of privileges. This could lead to a complete compromise of the server and any data stored on it.

Quick answers

Is CVE-1999-0131 exploited in the wild?: No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-1999-0131 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-1999-0131?: High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.2, published 11 September 1996.
Which products and versions are affected?: Sendmail Sendmail 8.7.5 and earlier.
Is there a fix for CVE-1999-0131?: No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.
How is CVE-1999-0131 attacked?: It is attacked with local access, in an operating system.
Am I affected by CVE-1999-0131?: Check whether anything you run is named in the advisory. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

Technical details

A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in Sendmail versions 8.7.5 and earlier within the handling of the GECOS (General Electric Comprehensive Operating System) field in the system password file. The flaw is triggered when Sendmail processes user information that exceeds expected buffer lengths. A local attacker with the ability to modify their own GECOS information or influence how Sendmail parses it can overwrite memory to execute arbitrary code with root privileges. This vulnerability also allows for a denial of service by crashing the mail daemon. Users should upgrade to a version later than 8.7.5 to mitigate this risk.

Affected products

Sendmail Sendmail 8.7.5 and earlier

Timeline

1996-09-11: disclosed

References

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/717

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