CVE-1999-1549
HighCVSS 7.8Exploitation Probability (EPSS)
Low risk43th percentile - higher than 43% of all known CVEs
Summary
Lynx 2.x does not properly distinguish between internal and external HTML, which may allow a local attacker to read a 'secure' hidden form value from a temporary file and craft a LYNXOPTIONS: URL that causes Lynx to modify the user's configuration file and execute commands.
Risk Assessment
An attacker may gain access to sensitive data and modify the browser's configuration, potentially leading to a takeover of the user's system.
Recommendation
It is recommended to update Lynx to the latest version that improves the distinction between internal and external HTML and introduces additional security measures.
Other vulnerabilities in Lynx 2.x
See all- CVE-2016-9179High
It was found that Lynx doesn't parse the authority component of the URL correctly when the host name part ends with '?'. This could lead to the program connecting to a different host.
- CVE-2000-0209High
Buffer overflow in Lynx 2.x allows remote attackers to crash Lynx and possibly execute commands via a long URL in a malicious web page.
- CVE-1999-0371Low
Lynx allows a local user to overwrite sensitive files through /tmp symlinks.
Original NVD description (English source)
Lynx 2.x does not properly distinguish between internal and external HTML, which may allow a local attacker to read a "secure" hidden form value from a temporary file and craft a LYNXOPTIONS: URL that causes Lynx to modify the user's configuration file and execute commands.