# CVE-1999-1133: HP HP-UX privilege escalation in X Windows utilities

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-1999-1133-hp-hp-ux-privilege-escalation-in-x-windows-utilities  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 1997-09-01. Updated: 2026-05-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-1999-1133 · Severity: medium · CVSS 4.6 · Published 1997-09-01

A vulnerability in HP-UX operating systems running X Windows allows local users to gain unauthorized elevated privileges. By exploiting specific system utilities like file managers and text editors, a user who already has basic access to the system can bypass authentication and perform actions with higher-level permissions. This could lead to unauthorized data access or full control over the affected workstation or server.

Technologies: [Hp-Ux](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/hp-ux). Vendors: [Hp](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/hp).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-1999-1133 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-1999-1133 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-1999-1133?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 4.6, published 1 September 1997.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Hp-Ux 9.x, 10.x.

**Is there a fix for CVE-1999-1133?** 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-1999-1133 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in an operating system.

**Am I affected by CVE-1999-1133?** Check whether you run Hp-Ux 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 privilege escalation vulnerability exists in HP-UX 9.x and 10.x within the X Windows environment. The issue stems from several SetUID/SetGID utilities, specifically vuefile, vuepad, dtfile, and dtpad, which fail to properly authenticate users or validate environment variables, allowing a local attacker to execute commands with the privileges of the application owner (often root). This is closely related to underlying buffer overflows in the libXt and Motif libraries (X11R5/X11R6). Attackers with local shell access can exploit these binaries to gain administrative control. HP released several patches (e.g., PHSS_11626, PHSS_11043) to address the library vulnerabilities and updated the affected VUE/CDE components.

## Affected products

- HP HP-UX 9.x, 10.x

## Timeline

- 1997-09-01: advisory: Initial NVD publication date
- 1997-09-09: disclosed: HP Security Bulletin HPSBUX9709-069 released via Bugtraq

## References

- [http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=87602880019776&w=2](http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=87602880019776&w=2)
- [https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/499](https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/499)

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