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4.6

Solaris mail command can let local users become admin

CVE-1999-1014 · published 27 years ago
Summary

On Solaris 2.7 systems, the mail utility does not properly limit the length of the -m option. A user who can run the command locally could craft an overly long argument to overflow memory and gain higher privileges. Apply the vendor's security update or restrict local access to the mail command until the patch is installed.

What to do

The CVE record does not list a fixed version. Check the vendor's site or the advisory links below - a fix may already be released.

Affected software
VendorProductAffected versions
sun solaris 7.0
cpe:2.3:o:sun:solaris:7.0:*:x86:*:*:*:*:*
sun sunos 5.7
cpe:2.3:o:sun:sunos:5.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Original advisory text
Buffer overflow in mail command in Solaris 2.7 and 2.7 allows local users to gain privileges via a long -m argument.
Buffer overflow in mail command in Solaris 2.7 and 2.7 allows local users to gain privileges via a long -m argument.
References
Fix within
Internet-facing 60 days
Internal At next upgrade
  • Not known to be exploited
  • Needs hands-on effort to exploit (estimated)
  • Gives an attacker partial control (estimated)
Severity
4.6 Medium
Exploitation
1% chance of attack within 30 days
Timeline
Published13 Sep 1999
Updated31 Oct 2026
First seen29 Sep 2026
Sources
CVE-1999-1014 · NVD
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