Summary

A directory traversal vulnerability in the Eclipse Help component shipped by the Tivoli Lightweight Infrastructure (LWI) allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a crafted URL. This vulnerability affects IBM System Director Console for AIX (pConsole) and Web Based System Management Remote Client (WebSM Remote).

Vulnerability Details

CVEID: CVE-2016-6038**
DESCRIPTION:** A directory traversal vulnerability in the Eclipse Help component shipped by Tivoli Lightweight Infrastructure (LWI) allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a crafted URL. This vulnerability affects IBM System Director Console for AIX (pconsole) and Web Based System Management Remote Client (WebSM Remote).
CVSS Base Score: 6.5
CVSS Temporal Score: See https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/117019 for the current score
CVSS Environmental Score*: Undefined
CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N)

Affected Products and Versions

AIX 5.3, 6.1, 7.1

Some AIX releases are potentially vulnerable if an impacted LWI version is present on the system.

1. If one of the following filesets are installed, then LWI version will need to be verified:

sysmgt.pconsole.rte
sysmgt.websm.rte

Note: to find out whether the affected filesets are installed on your systems, refer to the lslpp command found in AIX user’s guide.

Example: lslpp -L | grep -i sysmgt.pconsole.rte

2. Verify LWI version. The following LWI versions are vulnerable:

Note: to find out whether the affected filesets are installed on your systems, refer to the lslpp command found in AIX user’s guide.

Example: lslpp -L | grep -i lwi.runtime

VIOS 2.2.3.5x

VIOS 2.2.3.5x and older releases are vulnerable due to an impacted LWI version included in the fileset sysmgt.websm.rte.

Note: VIOS 2.2.3.60, 2.2.4.0 and newer releases are not vulnerable.

Remediation/Fixes

A. APARS

IBM has assigned the following APARs to this problem:

6.1.9| IV89418| NOW| SP6
7.1.3| IV89385| 1/27/2017| SP8

Subscribe to the APARs here:

<http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IV89418&gt;
<http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IV89385&gt;

By subscribing, you will receive periodic email alerting you to the status of the APAR, and a link to download the fix once it becomes available.

B. FIXES

Fixes are available.

The fixes can be downloaded via ftp or http from:

<ftp://aix.software.ibm.com/aix/efixes/security/pconsole_fix.tar&gt;
<http://aix.software.ibm.com/aix/efixes/security/pconsole_fix.tar&gt;
<https://aix.software.ibm.com/aix/efixes/security/pconsole_fix.tar&gt;

The link above is to a tar file containing this signed advisory, fix packages, and OpenSSL signatures for each package. The fixes below include prerequisite checking. This will enforce the correct mapping between the fixes and AIX Technology Levels.

To extract the fixes from the tar file:

tar xvf pconsole_fix.tar
cd pconsole_fix

Verify you have retrieved the fixes intact:

The checksums below were generated using the
“openssl dgst -sha256 file” command as the followng:

These sums should match exactly. The OpenSSL signatures in the tar file and on this advisory can also be used to verify the integrity of the fixes. If the sums or signatures cannot be confirmed, contact IBM AIX Security at [email protected] and describe the discrepancy.

openssl dgst -sha1 -verify <pubkey_file> -signature <advisory_file>.sig <advisory_file>

openssl dgst -sha1 -verify <pubkey_file> -signature <ifix_file>.sig <ifix_file>

Published advisory OpenSSL signature file location:

<http://aix.software.ibm.com/aix/efixes/security/pconsole_advisory.asc.sig&gt;
<https://aix.software.ibm.com/aix/efixes/security/pconsole_advisory.asc.sig&gt;
<ftp://aix.software.ibm.com/aix/efixes/security/pconsole_advisory.asc.sig&gt;

C. FIX AND INTERIM FIX INSTALLATION

IMPORTANT: If possible, it is recommended that a mksysb backup of the system be created. Verify it is both bootable and readable before proceeding.

To preview a fix installation:

installp -a -d fix_name -p all # where fix_name is the name of the

fix package being previewed.

To install a fix package:

installp -a -d fix_name -X all # where fix_name is the name of the

fix package being installed.

Interim fixes have had limited functional and regression testing but not the full regression testing that takes place for Service Packs; however, IBM does fully support them.

Interim fix management documentation can be found at:

<http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/aix.efixmgmt/home.html&gt;

To preview an interim fix installation:

emgr -e ipkg_name -p # where ipkg_name is the name of the

interim fix package being previewed.

To install an interim fix package:

emgr -e ipkg_name -X # where ipkg_name is the name of the

interim fix package being installed.

Workarounds and Mitigations

Current mitigation is to disable IBM System Director Console for AIX (pConsole) for AIX 6.1 and 7.1 and disable Web Based System Manager (WebSM) Remote Client for AIX 5.3 and 6.1:

1. Stop the services:

AIX 6.1 and 7.1: # stopsrc -s pconsole
AIX 5.3 and 6.1: # stopsrc -s http4websm

2. Verify that the services are inoperative:

AIX 6.1 and 7.1: # lssrc -s pconsole
AIX 5.3 and 6.1: # lssrc -s http4websm

3. If system is rebooted, please follow steps 1. and 2. again.

SMIT may be used as an alternative for system administration.