---
id: CVE-1999-1580
title: >-
  SunOS sendmail 5.59 through 5.65 uses popen to process a forwarding host
  argument, which allows local users to gain root privileges by modifying the
  IFS (Internal Field Separator) variable and passing crafted values to the -oR
  option.
summary: >-
  SunOS sendmail 5.59 through 5.65 uses popen to process a forwarding host
  argument, which allows local users to gain root privileges by modifying the
  IFS (Internal Field Separator) variable and passing crafted values to the -oR
  option.
severity: high
cvss: 7.2
cvssVector: 'AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C'
published: '1995-08-23'
updated: '2026-06-16'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-1999-1580'
references:
  - url: 'http://www.alw.nih.gov/Security/8lgm/8lgm-Advisory-21.html'
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: 'http://www.auscert.org.au/render.html?it=1853&cid=1978'
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: 'http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-95.11.sun.sendmail-oR.vul'
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: 'http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/3278'
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: 'http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/7829'
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: 'http://www.alw.nih.gov/Security/8lgm/8lgm-Advisory-21.html'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'http://www.auscert.org.au/render.html?it=1853&cid=1978'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-95.11.sun.sendmail-oR.vul'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/3278'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/7829'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
tags:
  - nvd
epss: 0.01105
epssPercentile: 0.64381
ingestedAt: '2026-06-19T03:39:00.757Z'
---

## Overview

SunOS sendmail 5.59 through 5.65 uses popen to process a forwarding host argument, which allows local users to gain root privileges by modifying the IFS (Internal Field Separator) variable and passing crafted values to the -oR option.

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.