# CVE-1999-1095: Path traversal in n/a

> Local attackers can exploit symbolic link handling in the sort utility to modify arbitrary files writable by the executing user.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **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:** 12 Sep 2001
- **Updated:** 1 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-c285-wp5f-8f3c

## What is CVE-1999-1095?

CVE-1999-1095 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Redhat Linux, published on 12 Sep 2001. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

sort creates temporary files and follows symbolic links, which allows local users to modify arbitrary files that are writable by the user running sort, as observed in updatedb and other programs that use sort.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-1999-1095?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Redhat Linux, Slackware Slackware Linux.

## How do I fix CVE-1999-1095?

No fix has been published for CVE-1999-1095 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-1999-1095 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-1999-1095 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Redhat Linux

- [CVE-2000-1220](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2000-1220/): Privilege escalation in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2003-0248](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2003-0248/): Privilege escalation in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-1999-1542](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-1999-1542/): Command injection in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-1999-1299](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-1999-1299/): Privilege escalation in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2000-0322](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2000-0322/): Command injection in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-1999-1095 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-1999-1095 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Redhat Linux, published on 12 Sep 2001. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-1999-1095 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Redhat 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-1999-1095/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-1999-1095/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-1999-1095
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-1999-1095
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-1999-1095

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-1999-1095/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.