CVE-1999-0655 is a rejected CVE candidate that was never assigned as a valid vulnerability identifier. The initial description indicated that the issue related to services exposing potentially useful information in their banners or help functions, such as software names and version numbers. Such information disclosure can aid attackers in reconnaissance and information gathering phases by revealing details about the underlying software stack. However, this candidate was rejected because it did not pertain to any specific product, protocol, or design flaw, and thus was deemed out of scope for the CVE system. No specific affected versions, exploits, or patches exist for this entry. Essentially, this is a general observation about information leakage through service banners rather than a concrete vulnerability with defined impact or exploitability.

While the original note suggested that service banners revealing software versions could facilitate information gathering, this is a common and well-understood security consideration rather than a direct vulnerability. For European organizations, the impact is limited to potentially aiding attackers in profiling systems during reconnaissance. This could indirectly increase the risk of targeted attacks if combined with other vulnerabilities. However, since this is not a specific exploitable flaw, it does not directly compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability. The impact is therefore low and mostly related to operational security hygiene and attack surface reduction.

European organizations should implement best practices for minimizing information leakage in service banners and error messages. This includes configuring servers, network devices, and applications to suppress or customize banners to avoid disclosing software versions or internal details. Regularly auditing exposed services and conducting penetration tests can help identify unintended information disclosures. Additionally, organizations should maintain up-to-date inventories of software and versions to quickly assess risks if banner information is leaked. While this is standard security hygiene, it is a practical step to reduce reconnaissance effectiveness by potential attackers.