# CVE-1999-1556: Weak cryptography in n/a

> Local attackers can escalate privileges by reading and decrypting weakly encrypted SQL Server account passwords stored in the registry.

- **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:** 1 Sep 2004
- **Updated:** 1 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-f4x9-cgw2-8r83

## What is CVE-1999-1556?

CVE-1999-1556 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Sql Server, published on 1 Sep 2004. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 uses weak encryption for the password for the SQLExecutiveCmdExec account and stores it in an accessible portion of the registry, which could allow local users to gain privileges by reading and decrypting the CmdExecAccount value.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-1999-1556?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Microsoft Sql Server.

## How do I fix CVE-1999-1556?

No fix has been published for CVE-1999-1556 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-1999-1556 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-1999-1556 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Sql Server

- [CVE-2020-0618](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-0618/): Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-1068](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1068/): Microsoft SQL Server Remote Code Execution (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2018-8273](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-8273/): Memory corruption in Microsoft SQL Server (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2008-5416](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-5416/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2023-21705](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-21705/): Microsoft SQL Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-1999-1556 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-1999-1556 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Sql Server, published on 1 Sep 2004. 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-1999-1556 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Microsoft Sql Server. 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-1999-1556/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-1999-1556/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-1999-1556
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-1999-1556
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-1999-1556

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-1999-1556/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.