CVE-2000-0029 in UnixWare
Summary
by MITRE
UnixWare pis and mkpis commands allow local users to gain privileges via a symlink attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2000-0029 affects UnixWare operating systems and stems from insecure handling of symbolic links within the pis and mkpis commands. These commands are part of the UnixWare system administration utilities and are designed to manage printer information and printer configuration files. The flaw occurs when these utilities process symbolic links without proper validation, creating a privilege escalation opportunity for local attackers who can manipulate the file system to execute code with elevated privileges.
This vulnerability represents a classic symlink attack vector that exploits the trust relationship between system utilities and file system operations. The technical implementation involves the commands not properly checking whether the files they process are symbolic links before operating on them. When a local user creates a symbolic link pointing to a privileged file or directory, the pis and mkpis commands follow the link and modify the target file, potentially allowing privilege escalation from regular user to root or system-level access. The flaw is classified as a privilege escalation vulnerability and maps to CWE-59 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, which specifically addresses improper handling of symbolic links.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for UnixWare systems, as it allows any local user to potentially gain elevated privileges without requiring special authentication or network access. Attackers can exploit this by creating carefully crafted symbolic links that point to system configuration files or binaries that are processed by these commands. The vulnerability affects systems running UnixWare versions that include the affected pis and mkpis utilities, particularly those with default configurations that do not restrict symbolic link usage. This creates a persistent security risk that could be exploited by malicious users or compromised accounts to gain unauthorized access to system resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2000-0029 involve both immediate patching and operational security improvements. System administrators should apply the appropriate vendor security patches that address the symbolic link handling in the affected commands. Additionally, implementing proper file system permissions and restricting the ability to create symbolic links in sensitive directories can help reduce the attack surface. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices in system utilities and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers privilege escalation through local exploits. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring for suspicious symbolic link creation and file system modifications, particularly in system directories where these commands are executed with elevated privileges. Regular security audits of system utilities and their file handling behaviors should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other system components.