CVE-1999-1304: SCO UNIX privilege escalation in login

CVE-1999-1304 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.2 · Published 1994-11-30

A security flaw in the login component of SCO UNIX allows individuals with physical or local access to the system to bypass security controls. By exploiting this vulnerability, a standard user can gain full administrative (root) privileges. This could lead to a total compromise of the server, including the theft of sensitive data and the ability to disrupt business operations.

Technologies: Sco Unix. Vendors: Sco.

Quick answers

Is CVE-1999-1304 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-1999-1304 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-1999-1304?
High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.2, published 30 November 1994.
Which products and versions are affected?
Sco Unix 4.2 and earlier.
Is there a fix for CVE-1999-1304?
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-1999-1304 attacked?
It is attacked with local access, in an operating system.
Am I affected by CVE-1999-1304?
Check whether you run Sco Unix 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 the login utility of SCO UNIX versions 4.2 and earlier. The flaw allows a local, unauthenticated user to execute commands or manipulate the login process to obtain a root shell. While the specific technical root cause (such as a buffer overflow or environment variable manipulation) is not detailed in the legacy advisory, the impact is a complete loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Attackers must have local access to the system to exploit this vulnerability. Users are advised to upgrade to a supported version or apply vendor-provided patches from the mid-1990s.

Affected products

  • SCO UNIX 4.2 and earlier

Timeline

  • 1994-11-30: disclosed

References

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