Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-1999-0712 describes a COAS issue that could make the Unix /etc/shadow password file readable by everyone. That file stores password hashes, so exposure can support credential cracking and broader account compromise on affected legacy systems.
Executive priority
Prioritize if the organization operates legacy Caldera/COAS systems or inherited Linux administration servers. Otherwise, track as a historical hygiene issue during legacy asset review.
Technical view
The public record says Caldera Open Administration System can cause /etc/shadow to become world-readable. No CVSS, CWE, affected version range, patch, or exploit detail is provided in the source bundle. Impact depends on whether COAS is present and whether the file permissions were weakened.
Likely exposure
Likely limited to legacy systems that still run Caldera Open Administration System or retained Caldera-era administration components. The source bundle does not identify affected versions or modern product lines.
Exploitation context
The provided data does not show active exploitation, and the CVE is not listed as KEV. Treat this as a legacy exposure risk rather than a confirmed current campaign.
Researcher notes
Evidence is sparse: the bundle provides the core behavior, CVE dates, KEV=false, and an IBM X-Force reference, but no CVSS, CWE, affected version range, or remediation advisory. Avoid claims beyond COAS-related /etc/shadow permission exposure.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory systems for Caldera Open Administration System or retained COAS components.
- Check vendor or archived advisory guidance before applying product-specific remediation.
- Verify /etc/shadow is not world-readable on any potentially affected host.
- Rotate affected local credentials if /etc/shadow exposure is confirmed.
- Retire, isolate, or tightly restrict unsupported legacy systems where no fix is available.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether COAS is installed on legacy Linux systems.
- Review /etc/shadow permissions and ownership against local OS security baselines.
- Check file metadata or audit logs for unexpected permission changes.
- Assess whether password hashes may have been readable by untrusted local users.
- Document affected hosts because public version and patch details are incomplete.
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.
Credential and access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references authentication or credential exposure, so valid-account and credential-access review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-1999-0712 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
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/CVE-1999-0712CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
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.