CVE-1999-0300 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
nis_cachemgr for solaris nis+ allows attackers to add malicious nis+ servers.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-1999-0300 affects the nis_cachemgr component within Solaris NIS+ implementations, representing a significant security flaw in the Network Information Service plus infrastructure. This issue resides in the NIS+ caching manager utility that handles the management of NIS+ server caches and configurations. The vulnerability specifically enables unauthorized attackers to inject malicious NIS+ server entries into the system's cache, potentially compromising the integrity and authenticity of the directory service infrastructure.
The technical flaw manifests through insufficient validation mechanisms within the nis_cachemgr utility that processes server addition requests. When legitimate administrators or automated processes attempt to add new NIS+ servers to the cache, the system fails to properly authenticate or verify the legitimacy of the server information being introduced. This weakness creates an opportunity for attackers to manipulate the cache contents by introducing rogue server entries that can redirect client requests to malicious systems. The vulnerability operates at the administrative interface level where server cache management commands are processed, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by attackers with minimal privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it fundamentally undermines the trust model of the NIS+ system. When attackers successfully inject malicious servers into the cache, they can potentially intercept, modify, or redirect all NIS+ client communications. This compromise affects authentication, authorization, and directory services across the affected network segments, as clients will trust and communicate with the malicious servers instead of legitimate ones. The attack can result in credential theft, unauthorized access to network resources, and complete disruption of directory services that organizations depend upon for secure network operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-1999-0300 should focus on implementing strict access controls and authentication mechanisms for the nis_cachemgr utility. Organizations should ensure that only authorized administrators can execute cache management operations and that all server additions undergo rigorous verification processes. Network segmentation and monitoring of NIS+ traffic can help detect unauthorized server entries, while regular cache audits should be conducted to identify and remove malicious entries. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses insufficient access control, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 related to credential harvesting through social engineering and system compromise. The issue demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining secure administrative interfaces and proper validation of system components in distributed network services, particularly those handling authentication and directory information.