Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2000-0566 is an old local file-overwrite issue in the Linux man package’s makewhatis utility. A local user could abuse temporary-file handling with a symlink to overwrite files. Business urgency depends on whether legacy Linux systems still include the vulnerable implementation.
Executive priority
Treat as a legacy hygiene issue unless exposed systems allow untrusted local users. Prioritize verification on unsupported Linux servers, shared shell environments, and systems with sensitive local files.
Technical view
The reported flaw is a symlink attack in makewhatis, part of the Linux man package. The CVE description states local users can overwrite files. The provided sources do not identify specific distributions, fixed versions, privileges gained, or patch details.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on legacy Linux systems running an affected man package implementation from the relevant era. Modern supported distributions may already be fixed, but the provided sources do not confirm affected or unaffected versions.
Exploitation context
This is a local attack, requiring an existing local user or equivalent access. The source bundle does not indicate remote exploitation or active exploitation, and it is not listed as CISA KEV in the provided data.
Researcher notes
Evidence is sparse. The public record only describes a local symlink overwrite in makewhatis and links to an IBM X-Force entry. No CVSS, CWE, affected version range, patch reference, or exploitation evidence is provided in the bundle.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory legacy Linux systems with the man package installed.
- Check operating system vendor advisories for affected makewhatis versions and fixes.
- Apply vendor-supported package updates where available.
- Restrict untrusted local shell access on legacy systems.
- Retire or isolate unsupported systems that cannot be verified.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether makewhatis is installed on legacy Linux hosts.
- Identify package version and distribution build provenance.
- Review vendor security notes for CVE-2000-0566 coverage.
- Check local hardening around temporary-file handling and untrusted users.
- Document systems where vendor status cannot be determined.
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-2000-0566 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
- linux-man-makewhatis-tmp(4900)CVE reference · vdb-entry, x_refsource_XF
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.