CVE-1999-1267
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 · uneditedKDE file manager (kfm) uses a TCP server for certain file operations, which allows remote attackers to modify arbitrary files by sending a copy command to the server.
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 confidenceKDE file manager (kfm) from circa 1999 includes a TCP server component for certain file operations. This server accepts copy commands over the network without authentication, allowing remote attackers to copy or modify arbitrary files on the system by sending specially crafted commands to the exposed port.
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 dataall versionsCVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N
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.
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Identify if kfm process is runningCheck running processes for 'kfm' or 'kde file manager' daemons. On Linux systems, use commands like 'ps aux | grep -i kfm' or 'systemctl list-units | grep -i kfm' if systemd is available.Affected if kfm process is active and serving connections
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Detect open TCP ports on the systemScan the system for listening TCP ports using 'netstat -tlnp' or 'ss -tlnp'. Look for unknown or unexpected listening ports, particularly in the high port range commonly used by kfm server.Affected if An unidentified TCP port is listening and responds to KDE file operation requests
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Check KDE configuration for TCP server settingsExamine KDE configuration files for settings related to kfm HTTP/TCP server. Common locations include ~/.kde/ or ~/.kde4/ directories, or system-wide /etc/kde/ paths. Look for configuration keys enabling 'KDE File Manager HTTP Server' or similar network-sharing features.Affected if The kfm HTTP/TCP server configuration is enabled in KDE settings
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Verify the KDE version in useCheck the installed KDE version by running 'kde-config --version', 'kde4-config --version', or inspecting the package manager output (dpkg -l kde*, rpm -qa kde*). Compare against historical KDE releases from 1998-2001.Affected if The KDE version is from the 1998-2001 era when kfm contained this vulnerability
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Test kfm server for unauthenticated file operationsFrom a remote system, attempt to connect to the suspected kfm TCP port and send raw HTTP-like requests to trigger file copy operations (e.g., using netcat or curl). If the server accepts and processes commands without authentication, the system is vulnerable.Affected if The kfm TCP server accepts and executes file copy commands without requiring authentication
The system is affected if kfm is running with its TCP server component enabled and accessible, allowing unauthenticated remote file operations.
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 dataDisable the kfm TCP server functionality in KDE configuration, block inbound access to the kfm server port at the network perimeter, or upgrade to a modern KDE version that has removed this insecure feature.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-1999-1267 — 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-1999-1267 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
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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