CVE-1999-0708 is a high-severity buffer overflow vulnerability found in version 1.4.2 of cfingerd, a finger daemon implementation by the infodrom project. The vulnerability arises when the daemon processes a long GECOS field, which is part of the user information typically stored in the password file. Specifically, the buffer overflow occurs locally when a user supplies an excessively long GECOS field, causing the cfingerd process to overwrite memory beyond its allocated buffer. This memory corruption can be exploited by a local attacker to escalate privileges and gain root-level access on the affected system. The vulnerability requires local access, meaning an attacker must already have some form of user-level access to the system to exploit it. The CVSS v2 score is 7.2, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with low attack complexity and no authentication required beyond local access. No patches are available for this vulnerability, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild. Given the age of the vulnerability (published in 1999) and the specific affected software version, modern systems are unlikely to be affected unless legacy or unmaintained systems are still running cfingerd 1.4.2. The vulnerability is critical in environments where cfingerd is used and local user accounts exist, as it allows privilege escalation to root, potentially compromising the entire system.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability depends heavily on the presence of legacy systems running cfingerd 1.4.2. If such systems are in use, the vulnerability poses a significant risk as it allows any local user to gain root privileges, potentially leading to full system compromise. This could result in unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of services, and lateral movement within networks. Critical infrastructure, research institutions, and organizations with legacy Unix-like systems may be particularly at risk. However, given the age of the vulnerability and the lack of known exploits, the practical risk is likely low unless outdated systems remain in operation. Still, organizations with strict compliance requirements or those handling sensitive data should assess their environments for the presence of cfingerd and mitigate accordingly to prevent privilege escalation attacks.

Since no official patch is available for cfingerd 1.4.2, European organizations should consider the following specific mitigation steps: 1) Immediately identify and inventory all systems running cfingerd, especially version 1.4.2. 2) Disable or uninstall cfingerd where it is not essential, as the service is largely obsolete and replaced by more secure alternatives. 3) If cfingerd must be used, restrict local user access to trusted personnel only, minimizing the risk of exploitation. 4) Employ mandatory access controls (e.g., SELinux, AppArmor) to limit the privileges of the cfingerd process and prevent escalation. 5) Monitor system logs for unusual activity related to cfingerd or local privilege escalation attempts. 6) Consider migrating to updated finger daemon implementations or alternative user information services that are actively maintained and patched. 7) Implement strong local user account management and auditing to detect and respond to suspicious behavior promptly.