CVE-1999-1250 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in a CGI program component of the Lasso application developed by Blue World Communications. This application was commonly used on WebSTAR and other web servers in the late 1990s. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files on the affected server by exploiting the CGI interface. Specifically, the flaw enables unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information by bypassing access controls within the Lasso CGI program, which processes user-supplied input without adequate validation or sanitization. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network without requiring authentication, making it accessible to any attacker with network access to the vulnerable server. The CVSS base score is 5.0, reflecting a medium severity level, with the vector indicating network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no authentication required (Au:N), and impact limited to confidentiality (C:P), with no impact on integrity or availability (I:N/A:N). There is no patch available for this vulnerability, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild. Given the age of the vulnerability (published in 1997) and the obsolescence of the affected software, active exploitation is unlikely in modern environments; however, legacy systems or archival servers still running Lasso CGI could remain at risk. The vulnerability's primary risk is unauthorized disclosure of sensitive files, which could include configuration files, source code, or other data critical to the security posture of the affected system.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability depends largely on whether legacy systems running the Lasso CGI application are still in use. In environments where such outdated software remains operational, the vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, potentially exposing credentials, internal configurations, or proprietary data. This could facilitate further attacks such as privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network. Confidentiality breaches could have regulatory implications under GDPR, especially if personal data is exposed. However, given the age and obscurity of the affected software, the overall risk to most European organizations is low unless they maintain legacy web infrastructure. Organizations in sectors with long-lived legacy systems, such as government archives, research institutions, or certain industrial environments, may face higher risk. The lack of available patches means organizations must rely on compensating controls to mitigate exposure. The vulnerability does not affect integrity or availability directly, so operational disruption is unlikely from this issue alone.

Since no official patch is available for CVE-1999-1250, European organizations should focus on the following practical mitigation strategies: 1) Identify and inventory all systems running the Lasso CGI application or WebSTAR servers to assess exposure. 2) Decommission or upgrade legacy systems to modern, supported web server platforms that do not include vulnerable CGI components. 3) If legacy systems must remain operational, restrict network access to these servers by implementing strict firewall rules limiting inbound connections to trusted IP addresses or internal networks only. 4) Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) or intrusion prevention systems (IPS) with custom rules to detect and block attempts to exploit arbitrary file read vulnerabilities. 5) Conduct regular security audits and file integrity monitoring on legacy servers to detect unauthorized access or data exfiltration. 6) Ensure sensitive files are stored outside of web-accessible directories or protected by additional access controls. 7) Educate system administrators about the risks of legacy software and the importance of timely upgrades. These measures collectively reduce the attack surface and limit the potential for exploitation despite the absence of a direct patch.