# CVE-1999-1131: SGI IRIX OSF DCE buffer overflow in secd

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-1999-1131-sgi-irix-osf-dce-buffer-overflow-in-secd  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 1997-10-24. Updated: 2026-05-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-1999-1131 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5 · Published 1997-10-24

A vulnerability exists in the security daemon of the OSF Distributed Computing Environment (DCE) used in older SGI IRIX operating systems. This component is responsible for managing security and authentication across a network of computers. An attacker can exploit this flaw to crash the security service, potentially disrupting user logins and network-wide security operations.

Technologies: [Sgi Irix](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/irix). Vendors: [Sgi](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/sgi).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-1999-1131 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-1999-1131 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-1999-1131?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5, published 24 October 1997.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Sgi Irix 6.4 and earlier.

**Is there a fix for CVE-1999-1131?** 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-1999-1131 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in an operating system.

**Am I affected by CVE-1999-1131?** Check whether you run OSF Distributed Computing Environment or Sgi Irix at an affected version. 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 the OSF Distributed Computing Environment (DCE) security daemon (secd). The flaw is triggered when the daemon processes an excessively long string for a principal, group, or organization name. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can exploit this by sending a specially crafted request to the daemon, leading to a crash and a denial of service (DoS) condition. This issue primarily affects SGI IRIX version 6.4 and earlier. Patches were historically made available by SGI and The Open Group.

## Affected products

- SGI IRIX 6.4 and earlier
- OSF Distributed Computing Environment (DCE) security daemon (secd)

## Timeline

- 1997-10-24: disclosed
- 1997-10-24: advisory

## References

- [http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/bulletins/i-060.shtml](http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/bulletins/i-060.shtml)
- [http://www.cert.org/vendor_bulletins/VB-97.12.opengroup](http://www.cert.org/vendor_bulletins/VB-97.12.opengroup)
- [https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/1123](https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/1123)

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