CVE-1999-1270: n/a vulnerability

CVE-1999-1270: KMail in KDE 1.0 provides a PGP passphrase as a command line argument to other programs, which could allow...

KMail in KDE 1.0 provides a PGP passphrase as a command line argument to other programs, which could allow local users to obtain the passphrase and compromise the PGP keys of other users by viewing the arguments via programs that list process information, such as ps.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdatedAug 1, 2024, 17:11 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Security readout for executives and security teams

KMail in KDE 1.0 could expose a user's PGP passphrase by passing it to helper programs as a command-line argument. A local account on the same system may be able to see that argument through process-listing tools, putting encrypted mail identity and private keys at risk. The sources do not provide severity scoring or patch details. Exposure appears limited to legacy KDE 1.0 KMail installations using PGP on systems with local users who can view other processes' arguments. Modern product impact is not established by the provided sources. Treat this as a legacy risk. It is not a current mass-exploitation signal, but any remaining affected shared system could expose encryption credentials and undermine trust in signed or encrypted email. Mitigation focus: Inventory for KDE 1.0 KMail or similarly obsolete mail clients using PGP.; Check KDE or distribution guidance for historical fixes or migration advice.; Retire or isolate unsupported systems where KMail KDE 1.0 remains in use..

Prepared: Jul 1, 2026, 09:01 UTC (UTC+00:00)

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

Potential ATT&CK relevance

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record

Severity: Unknown
CVSS: Not scored
Known Exploited: No
Published: Sep 12, 2001, 04:00 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

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0CVSS vectors

0Timeline events

0ADP providers

2Source links

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
kde-kmail-passphrase-leak(1639)CVE reference · vdb-entry, x_refsource_XF

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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