CVE-1999-0779 in HP-UX
Summary
by MITRE
Denial of service in HP-UX SharedX recserv program.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-1999-0779 represents a denial of service condition within the HP-UX SharedX recserv program, a component of Hewlett-Packard's Unix operating system environment. This flaw specifically affects the SharedX implementation which provides distributed computing capabilities and resource sharing functionalities across HP-UX systems. The recserv program serves as a critical receiver service that handles incoming requests and manages shared resources within the distributed computing framework. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and error handling mechanisms within this service component, creating potential attack vectors that could disrupt normal system operations.
Technical analysis reveals that the flaw manifests through improper handling of malformed or excessive input data sent to the recserv program. When the service receives crafted input that exceeds expected parameters or contains irregular data patterns, the program fails to properly validate these inputs before processing them. This lack of robust input sanitization leads to memory corruption issues, resource exhaustion, or unexpected program termination. The vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which encompasses buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, related to buffer overflow vulnerabilities in heap-based data structures. The specific nature of the flaw suggests that the recserv program does not implement adequate bounds checking or memory allocation validation when processing network requests or shared resource access commands.
The operational impact of this denial of service vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the entire distributed computing environment within affected HP-UX systems. When exploited, the vulnerability can cause the recserv program to crash or become unresponsive, effectively cutting off access to shared resources and services that other system components depend upon. This disruption can cascade throughout the network infrastructure, affecting multiple systems that rely on SharedX services for data sharing, printing, or other collaborative functions. The attack vector typically involves sending specially crafted network packets or resource requests to the recserv service port, which then triggers the vulnerable code path. According to ATT&CK framework reference T1499, this vulnerability aligns with network denial of service techniques that target system services to prevent legitimate users from accessing resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-1999-0779 should focus on implementing immediate patching procedures and network-level defenses. System administrators must apply the relevant HP-UX security patches that address the input validation flaws in the recserv program. Additionally, network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to the SharedX service ports only to trusted network segments. Monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect unusual traffic patterns or repeated connection attempts that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper software development practices including input validation, bounds checking, and robust error handling mechanisms. Organizations should consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on suspicious network traffic patterns associated with this specific denial of service attack vector. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other system components that might present analogous attack surfaces.