CVE-1999-0382
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe screen saver in Windows NT does not verify that its security context has been changed properly, allowing attackers to run programs with elevated privileges.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe Windows NT screen saver fails to properly verify its security context after privilege changes, allowing local attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated SYSTEM-level privileges through a race condition or improper context switching during the screensaver lifecycle.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 3.5.1= 4.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Verify Windows NT versionRun 'winver' from the command prompt or check System Properties to confirm the exact Windows NT build numberAffected if The version shows Windows NT 3.5.1 or Windows NT 4.0 (any build)
-
Confirm screen saver is configuredRight-click on the desktop, select Properties, then go to the Screen Saver tab to see if a screen saver is selectedAffected if A screen saver is selected and enabled on the system
-
Check for active screen saver processOpen Task Manager (press Ctrl+Alt+Del then select Task Manager) and look for the screen saver process (.scr file) running under the current user sessionAffected if A screen saver process is currently active or can be triggered
-
Verify SYSTEM-level privilege exposureUse Task Manager to examine the security context of running processes. The vulnerability allows the screen saver to execute with elevated SYSTEM privileges after a privilege changeAffected if The screen saver runs or can run with SYSTEM-level privileges on a system where non-privileged users can interact with it
The system is affected if it is running Windows NT 3.5.1 or 4.0 with a screen saver enabled, as the race condition during the screensaver lifecycle can allow privilege escalation to SYSTEM.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataApply the relevant Microsoft security patch for Windows NT 4.0 (if still in use) or migrate off legacy Windows NT systems, as the operating system is long past end-of-life and no longer receives security updates.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-1999-0382 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-1999-0382 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data