# CVE-1999-0179: Microsoft Windows NT denial of service via Samba client directory navigation

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-1999-0179-microsoft-windows-nt-denial-of-service-via-samba-client-directory  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 1997-01-01. Updated: 2026-05-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-1999-0179 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5 · Published 1997-01-01

A vulnerability in Windows NT causes the operating system to crash or freeze when processing specific file directory commands from a Samba client. This affects the availability of file shares and can lead to a complete system outage, disrupting business operations and access to shared data. An attacker or a misconfigured client can trigger this state by attempting to navigate to a parent directory on a network share.

Technologies: [Microsoft Windows 95](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/windows-95), [Microsoft Windows Nt](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/windows-nt). Vendors: [Microsoft](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/microsoft).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-1999-0179 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-1999-0179 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-1999-0179?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5, published 1 January 1997.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Microsoft Windows NT.

**Is there a fix for CVE-1999-0179?** 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-1999-0179 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in an operating system.

**Am I affected by CVE-1999-0179?** Check whether you run Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows Nt. 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 denial-of-service vulnerability exists in Windows NT's handling of SMB/CIFS requests. When a Samba client connected to a Windows NT file share issues a 'change directory' command to the parent directory (cd ..), the operating system may encounter a kernel-level hang or crash. This is likely due to improper handling of directory traversal requests or malformed SMB packets originating from non-Windows SMB implementations. The attack can be triggered over the network without specific authentication if the share is accessible, resulting in a complete loss of system availability. Microsoft addressed this issue in legacy Knowledge Base article Q140818.

## Affected products

- Microsoft Windows NT

## Timeline

- 1997-01-01: disclosed

## References

- [http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3B%5BLN%5D%3BQ140818](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3B%5BLN%5D%3BQ140818)

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