# CVE-1999-1308: HP HP-UX privilege escalation via large UID or GID

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-1999-1308-hp-hp-ux-privilege-escalation-via-large-uid-or-gid  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 1997-07-31. Updated: 2026-05-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-1999-1308 · Severity: medium · CVSS 4.6 · Published 1997-07-31

A vulnerability in the HP-UX 10.20 operating system fails to correctly process high-value user and group identification numbers. This flaw allows a local user already on the system to potentially bypass security restrictions and gain elevated administrative privileges. Such an exploit could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data or full control over the affected server.

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

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-1999-1308 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-1999-1308 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-1999-1308?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 4.6, published 31 July 1997.

**Which products and versions are affected?** HP HP-UX 10.20.

**Is there a fix for CVE-1999-1308?** 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-1999-1308 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in an operating system.

**Am I affected by CVE-1999-1308?** Check whether you run Hp-Ux. 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 vulnerability is a privilege escalation flaw in HP-UX 10.20 caused by improper handling of large User IDs (UID) or Group IDs (GID) exceeding the value of 60000. When certain system programs encounter these high-value identifiers, they may fail to correctly enforce access controls or drop privileges. A local attacker with an account on the system can exploit this behavior to gain unauthorized elevated privileges. The issue is specific to the 10.20 release of the operating system and requires local access to the target machine.

## Affected products

- HP HP-UX 10.20

## Timeline

- 1997-07-31: disclosed: Initial publication date in NVD

## References

- [http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/bulletins/h-09.shtml](http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/bulletins/h-09.shtml)
- [http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/bulletins/h-91.shtml](http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/bulletins/h-91.shtml)
- [http://www.iss.net/security_center/static/7594.php](http://www.iss.net/security_center/static/7594.php)

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