Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-1999-0491 describes an old bash prompt parsing issue where a local user could cause commands to run as another user through crafted directory names. The public record is sparse, with no affected versions, CVSS score, or vendor fix listed in the provided sources.
Executive priority
Treat as a legacy hygiene issue unless old multi-user systems remain in service. Prioritize supported bash and operating system versions where local users can access shared hosts.
Technical view
The CVE states that bash prompt parsing could let a local user execute commands as another user by creating a directory whose name matches the command to execute. The record does not identify affected bash versions, distributions, configurations, or patch levels.
Likely exposure
Likely limited to legacy Unix/Linux environments using vulnerable bash prompt behavior. Exposure cannot be confirmed from the provided record because affected products and versions are not specified.
Exploitation context
The issue requires local access and interaction with bash prompt parsing behavior. No cited source indicates active exploitation, public weaponization, or inclusion in CISA KEV.
Researcher notes
The CVE record is minimal and lacks version, platform, and remediation detail. Further analysis should use vendor advisories or historical bash changelogs before asserting affected scope.
Mitigation direction
- Check operating system and bash vendor guidance for historical fixes.
- Update bash and the operating system to supported versions.
- Prioritize review on shared, multi-user Unix/Linux systems.
- Avoid relying on untrusted path data in shell prompts.
Validation and detection
- Inventory systems running bash, especially legacy hosts.
- Confirm bash package versions against vendor security advisories.
- Review whether shared local shell access exists.
- Check prompt configuration for unsafe expansion behavior.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-1999-0491 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
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.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.