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CVE Record

CVE-1999-0199: manual/search.texi in the GNU C Library (aka glibc) before 2.2 lacks a statement about the unspecified tdel...

manual/search.texi in the GNU C Library (aka glibc) before 2.2 lacks a statement about the unspecified tdelete return value upon deletion of a tree's root, which might allow attackers to access a dangling pointer in an application whose developer was unaware of a documentation update from 1999.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysisunknown

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This CVE is about incomplete glibc documentation, not a directly named vulnerable application. Developers using tdelete could misunderstand its return value when deleting a tree root, potentially causing an application-level dangling pointer bug. Business urgency depends on whether your own code or supplied software uses that API pattern.

Executive priority

Treat this as a targeted code review item, not an emergency patch event, unless critical software uses the affected API pattern. The main business risk is latent memory-safety behavior in legacy native applications.

Technical view

glibc manual/search.texi before 2.2 did not document that tdelete has an unspecified return value when deleting a tree root. The CVE describes possible dangling pointer access in applications whose developers relied on the undocumented behavior. The bundle provides no CVSS, CWE, affected CPEs, or confirmed vulnerable downstream products.

Likely exposure

Exposure appears narrow and code-dependent. It is most relevant to C applications using glibc's tsearch/tdelete tree APIs, especially legacy code that depends on tdelete's return value after root deletion. The bundle does not identify specific affected products or deployable services.

Exploitation context

No active exploitation is supported by the provided sources, and KEV is false. The described risk requires vulnerable application logic around tdelete return-value handling rather than a standalone glibc remote exploit condition documented in the bundle.

Researcher notes

The available evidence is unusually documentation-centered. The CVE names glibc before 2.2 manual text and a 1999 documentation update, but does not provide CVSS, CWE, exploit reports, fixed downstream products, or affected CPEs. Validate through source review rather than version scanning alone.

Mitigation direction

  • Check vendor and glibc guidance before assigning a concrete fix.
  • Review code using tdelete for assumptions about returned pointers.
  • Avoid dereferencing or retaining tdelete results after root deletion.
  • Update legacy glibc documentation or developer notes where relevant.
  • Prioritize remediation only where reachable application code uses this API pattern.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory internal and third-party native code for tdelete usage.
  • Review root-deletion paths for stale pointer handling.
  • Confirm tests cover deletion of the tree root.
  • Check whether affected code was written against pre-2.2 glibc documentation.
  • Document any finding as application-specific, not automatically system-wide.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
5

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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CVE-1999-0199 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
4Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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