CVE-1999-0008 in Solaris
Prediction
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2026
A flaw has been found in Sun Solaris 2.3/2.4/2.5/2.5.1/2.6. Affected by this vulnerability is an unknown functionality of the file rpc.nisd of the component NIS+. Executing a manipulation can lead to memory corruption. The attack can be executed remotely. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-1999-0008 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the Network Information Service Plus NIS+ component of Sun Microsystems' operating systems. This issue specifically affects the rpc.nisd program which serves as the name server daemon for NIS+ services. The buffer overflow occurs when the rpc.nisd process handles incoming network requests without proper bounds checking on user-supplied data, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the rpc.nisd daemon's processing routines. When the daemon receives network requests containing specially crafted data, it fails to properly validate the length of incoming buffers before copying data into fixed-size memory locations. This classic buffer overflow condition allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting program execution flow and enabling privilege escalation. The flaw exists in the handling of NIS+ name resolution requests where user-provided names or identifiers are processed without sufficient boundary checks, making it susceptible to exploitation through malformed network traffic.
The operational impact of CVE-1999-0008 extends beyond simple system compromise as it represents a significant security weakness in enterprise network infrastructure. Organizations relying on NIS+ for directory services face potential unauthorized access to sensitive network information and system control. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication, making it particularly dangerous for systems exposed to untrusted networks. Successful exploitation typically results in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to gain root privileges and establish persistent access to network resources. This makes the vulnerability especially concerning for large enterprise environments where NIS+ servers often serve as critical infrastructure components for user authentication and resource management.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patch deployment from Sun Microsystems, as the flaw exists in the core NIS+ daemon implementation. System administrators should implement network segmentation to limit access to NIS+ servers and restrict rpc.nisd service exposure to trusted networks only. Additional protective measures include disabling NIS+ services when not required, implementing network monitoring to detect anomalous traffic patterns, and establishing regular security audits of NIS+ configurations. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1068, involving exploiting vulnerabilities in remote services to gain system access. Organizations should also consider migrating away from legacy NIS+ implementations toward more modern authentication systems such as LDAP or Kerberos to reduce exposure to similar historical vulnerabilities.