# CVE-1999-0421: During a reboot after an installation of Linux Slackware 3.6, a remote attacker can obtain root access by logging in to the root account without a password.


- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 4 Jan 2000
- **Updated:** 1 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-7gqc-w44g-5wvq

## What is CVE-1999-0421?

CVE-1999-0421 is a high-severity vulnerability in Slackware Slackware Linux, published on 4 Jan 2000. 

### Official description

During a reboot after an installation of Linux Slackware 3.6, a remote attacker can obtain root access by logging in to the root account without a password.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-1999-0421?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Slackware Slackware Linux.

## How do I fix CVE-1999-0421?

No fix has been published for CVE-1999-0421 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-1999-0421 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-1999-0421 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Slackware Slackware Linux

- [CVE-2013-7171](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-7171/): Misconfiguration in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2013-7172](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-7172/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2003-0335](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2003-0335/): Security feature bypass in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-1999-0242](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-1999-0242/): Information disclosure in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-1999-0298](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-1999-0298/): Path traversal in n/a (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-1999-0421 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-1999-0421 is a high-severity vulnerability in Slackware Slackware Linux, published on 4 Jan 2000. 
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-1999-0421 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Slackware Slackware Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-1999-0421/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-1999-0421/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-1999-0421
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-1999-0421
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-1999-0421

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-1999-0421/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.