How severe is CVE-1999-1386?

CVE-1999-1386 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-1999-1386 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (37th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-1999-1386?

CVE-1999-1386 affects Perl. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-1999-1386?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-1999-1386 published?

CVE-1999-1386 was published on 1999-12-31 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-1999-1386

CVE-1999-1386 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Perl with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-59.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 2.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (37th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-59
Affected product: Perl
Published: 1999-12-31
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

Perl 5.004_04 and earlier follows symbolic links when running with the -e option, which allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the /tmp/perl-eaXXXXX file.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-1999-1386?: Perl 5.004_04 and earlier follows symbolic links when running with the -e option, which allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the /tmp/perl-eaXXXXX file.
How severe is CVE-1999-1386?: CVE-1999-1386 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-1999-1386 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (37th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-1999-1386?: CVE-1999-1386 affects Perl. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-1999-1386?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-1999-1386 published?: CVE-1999-1386 was published on 1999-12-31 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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