# CVE-1999-0786: Path traversal in n/a

> Local attackers can create arbitrary files via symlink attacks using the LD_PROFILE environment variable in the Solaris dynamic linker.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.6 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 22 Mar 2000
- **Updated:** 1 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-2whr-5263-qqgc

## What is CVE-1999-0786?

CVE-1999-0786 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Sun Solaris, published on 22 Mar 2000. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The dynamic linker in Solaris allows a local user to create arbitrary files via the LD_PROFILE environmental variable and a symlink attack.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-1999-0786?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Sun Solaris, Sun Sunos.

## How do I fix CVE-1999-0786?

No fix has been published for CVE-1999-0786 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-1999-0786 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-1999-0786 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Solaris 2.6 - Profiling File Creation (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Sun Solaris

- [CVE-2008-3869](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-3869/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2008-3870](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-3870/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2008-4556](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-4556/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2007-3093](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-3093/): Code injection in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2003-1081](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2003-1081/): Path traversal in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-1999-0786 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-1999-0786 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Sun Solaris, published on 22 Mar 2000. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-1999-0786 exists.

Affected product: Sun Solaris. 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-1999-0786/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-1999-0786/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-1999-0786
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-1999-0786
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-1999-0786

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-1999-0786/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.