# CVE-1999-1407: Red Hat Linux 5 symlink attack in ifdhcpc-done script

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-1999-1407-red-hat-linux-5-symlink-attack-in-ifdhcpc-done-script  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 1998-03-09. Updated: 2026-05-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-1999-1407 · Severity: low · CVSS 2.1 · Published 1998-03-09

A script used to configure network settings on Red Hat Linux 5 contains a flaw that allows local users to interfere with system files. By creating a specially crafted link, an attacker can force the system to append text to sensitive files they wouldn't normally be able to modify. This could lead to minor data corruption or unauthorized changes to system logs and configuration files.

Technologies: [Redhat Linux](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/linux). Vendors: [Redhat](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/redhat).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-1999-1407 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-1999-1407 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-1999-1407?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 2.1, published 9 March 1998.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Red Hat Linux 5.0 5.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-1999-1407?** 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-1999-1407 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in an operating system.

**Am I affected by CVE-1999-1407?** Check whether you run Redhat Linux. 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 exists in the 'ifdhcpc-done' script, which is executed after a DHCP interface is configured. The script appends a log message to '/tmp/dhcplog' without verifying if the file is a symbolic link. A local attacker can create a symlink at '/tmp/dhcplog' pointing to a sensitive system file. When the script runs with root privileges during network configuration, it follows the symlink and appends the string 'setting up resolv.conf' to the target file. Additionally, the log file was found to have world-writable (666) permissions by default.

## Affected products

- Red Hat Linux 5.0 5.0

## Timeline

- 1998-03-09: disclosed: Vulnerability reported on Bugtraq mailing list
- 1998-03-09: advisory: NVD publication date

## References

- [http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=88950856416985&w=2](http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=88950856416985&w=2)
- [http://www.iss.net/security_center/static/7294.php](http://www.iss.net/security_center/static/7294.php)
- [http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/rh50-errata-general.html](http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/rh50-errata-general.html)
- [http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/368](http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/368)

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