# CVE-1999-1275: Lotus cc:Mail plaintext password storage in hidden file

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-1999-1275-lotus-cc-mail-plaintext-password-storage-in-hidden-file  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 1997-09-08. Updated: 2026-05-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-1999-1275 · Severity: medium · CVSS 4.6 · Published 1997-09-08

Lotus cc:Mail, an enterprise email system, contains a security flaw where it stores the administrative postoffice password in plain text within a hidden file. Because this file has weak access controls, any user with local access to the system can read the password. This allows an unauthorized individual to gain administrative control over the email system, potentially leading to the exposure of sensitive communications or disruption of service.

Vendors: [IBM](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/ibm), [Lotus](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/lotus).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-1999-1275 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-1999-1275 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-1999-1275?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 4.6, published 8 September 1997.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Lotus cc:Mail Release 8.

**Is there a fix for CVE-1999-1275?** 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-1999-1275 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-1999-1275?** Check whether you run IBM Lotus Cc Mail or Lotus cc:Mail 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

Lotus cc:Mail Release 8 suffers from an insecure storage of sensitive information vulnerability. The application stores the postoffice password in plaintext within a hidden configuration file. This file is created with insecure file system permissions, failing to restrict read access to authorized administrators only. A local attacker with standard user access can locate and read this file to obtain the administrative password. This leads to a full compromise of the cc:Mail postoffice, allowing the attacker to escalate privileges within the mail system.

## Affected products

- Lotus cc:Mail Release 8

## Timeline

- 1997-09-08: disclosed: Initial NVD publication date

## References

- [http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/9478](http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/9478)
- [https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/1619](https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/1619)