CVE-1999-0208: Sun NIS rpc.ypupdated remote command execution

CVE-1999-0208 · Severity: critical · CVSS 10 · Published 1995-12-12

The rpc.ypupdated service, part of the Network Information Service (NIS) used for managing system configuration data across a network, contains a critical security flaw. An unauthorized remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary commands on the affected server. This could lead to a total compromise of the system, including the theft of sensitive data or a complete shutdown of network services.

Vendors: Sun Microsystems.

Quick answers

Is CVE-1999-0208 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-1999-0208 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-1999-0208?
Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 10, published 12 December 1995.
Which products and versions are affected?
Sun Microsystems ypupdated (NIS).
Is there a fix for CVE-1999-0208?
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-1999-0208 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in an operating system.
Am I affected by CVE-1999-0208?
Check whether you run Sun Microsystems Ypupdated. 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

The rpc.ypupdated daemon, which handles updates to NIS maps, fails to properly validate or sanitize inputs from remote RPC requests. This lack of validation allows a remote, unauthenticated attacker to inject and execute arbitrary shell commands on the host system. The vulnerability is reachable over the network via the RPC portmapper. Successful exploitation grants the attacker the same privileges as the daemon, typically root, leading to full system compromise. This is a legacy vulnerability affecting older Unix-based systems utilizing NIS.

Affected products

  • Sun Microsystems ypupdated (NIS)

Timeline

  • 1995-12-12: disclosed

References

This page as Markdown. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link back.