CVE-1999-1530 in Cobalt RaQ
Summary
by MITRE
cgiwrap as used on Cobalt RaQ 2.0 and RaQ 3i does not properly identify the user for running certain scripts, which allows a malicious site administrator to view or modify data located at another virtual site on the same system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/19/2026
The vulnerability described in CVE-1999-1530 represents a critical access control flaw in the cgiwrap utility deployed on Cobalt RaQ 2.0 and RaQ 3i web servers. This issue stems from improper user identification mechanisms within the cgiwrap component, which serves as a gateway for executing CGI scripts on the server. The vulnerability specifically affects virtual hosting environments where multiple websites share the same physical server infrastructure, creating a scenario where security boundaries between virtual sites can be bypassed through malicious administrative actions.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the cgiwrap utility's failure to properly validate or authenticate user contexts when executing CGI scripts. When a malicious site administrator exploits this weakness, they can manipulate the execution environment to access files and data belonging to other virtual sites hosted on the same server. This represents a classic privilege escalation and information disclosure vulnerability that fundamentally undermines the isolation guarantees provided by virtual hosting architectures. The flaw operates at the system-level execution context rather than at the application level, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged to access sensitive data, modify files, or potentially escalate privileges across different virtual environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it enables malicious actors to compromise the integrity and confidentiality of multiple websites hosted on a single server. Attackers can exploit this weakness to view sensitive information belonging to other customers, modify website content, or potentially establish persistent access points within the compromised virtual hosting environment. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a critical failure in the security model of virtual hosting systems. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it allows a single compromised account to potentially access all other virtual sites on the same server, effectively breaking the isolation that virtual hosting is designed to provide.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper user context validation within the cgiwrap utility and strengthening the isolation mechanisms between virtual sites. System administrators should ensure that cgiwrap is configured to properly identify and enforce user permissions when executing CGI scripts, preventing unauthorized cross-site access. The implementation of proper access control lists and mandatory access controls would help prevent unauthorized data access. Additionally, regular security audits and monitoring of virtual hosting environments are essential to detect potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which describes improper privilege management, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and privilege escalation. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and additional monitoring controls to detect unauthorized access attempts between virtual sites, as the vulnerability can be exploited through legitimate administrative interfaces.