CVE-1999-1270

Status: ModifiedMedium (4.6)—

KMail in KDE 1.0 provides a PGP passphrase as a command line argument to other programs, which could allow local users to obtain the passphrase and compromise the PGP keys of other users by viewing the arguments via programs that list process information, such as ps.

CVSS

Version: 2.0
Vector: AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Base score: 4.6

Exploitation probability (EPSS)

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.31%
Percentile among all scored CVEs: 21
Score date: 10/7/2026

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).

Affected technologies (1)

KDE — KDE

CWEs

NVD-CWE-Other

References

Raw JSON (NVD)

Show

{
  "id": "CVE-1999-1270",
  "cveTags": [],
  "metrics": {
    "cvssMetricV2": [
      {
        "type": "Primary",
        "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
        "cvssData": {
          "version": "2.0",
          "baseScore": 4.6,
          "accessVector": "LOCAL",
          "vectorString": "AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P",
          "authentication": "NONE",
          "integrityImpact": "PARTIAL",
          "accessComplexity": "LOW",
          "availabilityImpact": "PARTIAL",
          "confidentialityImpact": "PARTIAL"
        },
        "acInsufInfo": false,
        "impactScore": 6.4,
        "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
        "obtainAllPrivilege": false,
        "exploitabilityScore": 3.9,
        "obtainUserPrivilege": false,
        "obtainOtherPrivilege": false,
        "userInteractionRequired": false
      }
    ]
  },
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "cve@mitre.org",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "vendor": "n/a",
          "product": "n/a",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "n/a"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "published": "1998-07-11T04:00:00.000",
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "http://lists.kde.org/?l=kde-devel&m=90221974029738&w=2",
      "tags": [
        "Vendor Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/1639",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://lists.kde.org/?l=kde-devel&m=90221974029738&w=2",
      "tags": [
        "Vendor Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/1639",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    }
  ],
  "vulnStatus": "Modified",
  "weaknesses": [
    {
      "type": "Primary",
      "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
      "description": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "NVD-CWE-Other"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "KMail in KDE 1.0 provides a PGP passphrase as a command line argument to other programs, which could allow local users to obtain the passphrase and compromise the PGP keys of other users by viewing the arguments via programs that list process information, such as ps."
    }
  ],
  "lastModified": "2026-06-16T21:50:04.823",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "nodes": [
        {
          "negate": false,
          "cpeMatch": [
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:kde:kde:1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": true,
              "matchCriteriaId": "30661C23-9BE4-4F6E-AEB9-1B9D7DAA6FC9"
            }
          ],
          "operator": "OR"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sourceIdentifier": "cve@mitre.org"
}