# CVE-1999-1395: DEC VMS privilege escalation in Monitor utility

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-1999-1395-dec-vms-privilege-escalation-in-monitor-utility  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 1992-11-17. Updated: 2026-05-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-1999-1395 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.2 · Published 1992-11-17

A vulnerability in the Monitor utility of the VMS operating system allows local users to gain unauthorized administrative privileges. The Monitor utility is a system tool used to track performance and system activity. An attacker with basic access to the system could exploit this flaw to take full control of the environment, potentially leading to data theft or system disruption.

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-1999-1395 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-1999-1395 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-1999-1395?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.2, published 17 November 1992.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Digital Equipment Corporation VMS 5.0 through 5.4-2.

**Is there a fix for CVE-1999-1395?** 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-1999-1395 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in an operating system.

**Am I affected by CVE-1999-1395?** Check whether anything you run is named in the advisory. 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 VMS Monitor utility, specifically within the SYS$SHARE:SPISHR.EXE shared image. The flaw allows a local user with standard access to execute code or manipulate system states to gain higher-level privileges. The vulnerability affects VMS versions 5.0 through 5.4-2. Successful exploitation grants the attacker full control over the operating system. Patches were historically made available by the vendor (Digital Equipment Corporation) following the initial disclosure in 1992.

## Affected products

- Digital Equipment Corporation VMS 5.0 through 5.4-2

## Timeline

- 1992-11-17: disclosed: Initial disclosure date recorded by NVD
- 1992-11-17: advisory: CERT advisory CA-1992-18 published

## References

- [http://osvdb.org/59332](http://osvdb.org/59332)
- [http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-1992-18.html](http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-1992-18.html)
- [http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-92.16.VMS.Monitor.vulnerability](http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-92.16.VMS.Monitor.vulnerability)
- [http://www.iss.net/security_center/static/7136.php](http://www.iss.net/security_center/static/7136.php)
- [http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/51](http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/51)