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Security Bulletin: AIX is vulnerable to a buffer overflow due to X11 (CVE-2022-47990)

Security Bulletin


Summary

A vulnerability in X11 on AIX could allow a non-privileged local user to cause a buffer overflow that could result in a denial of service or arbitrary code execution (CVE-2022-47990).

Vulnerability Details

CVEID:   CVE-2022-47990
DESCRIPTION:   IBM AIX could allow a non-privileged local user to exploit a vulnerability in X11 to cause a buffer overflow that could result in a denial of service or arbitrary code execution.
CVSS Base score: 6.2
CVSS Temporal Score: See: https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/243556 for the current score.
CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H)

Affected Products and Versions

Affected Product(s)Version(s)
AIX7.1
AIX7.2
AIX7.3
VIOS3.1

 

The following fileset levels are vulnerable:

 

FilesetLower LevelUpper Level
X11.base.lib7.1.5.07.1.5.34
X11.base.lib7.2.5.07.2.5.1
X11.base.lib7.2.5.1007.2.5.100
X11.base.lib7.3.0.07.3.0.0

 

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

Example: lslpp -L | grep -i X11.base.lib

 

Remediation/Fixes

A. APARS

 

IBM has assigned the following APARs to this problem:

AIX LevelAPARSP
7.1.5IJ43073SP11
7.2.5IJ42677SP05
7.3.0IJ42939SP03

 

VIOS LevelAPARSP
3.1.2IJ435993.1.2.50
3.1.3IJ432183.1.3.30

 

Subscribe to the APARs here:

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/apar/IJ42677

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/apar/IJ42939

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/apar/IJ43073

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/apar/IJ43218

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/apar/IJ43599

 

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

 

IBM strongly recommends addressing the vulnerability now.

 

The fixes can be downloaded via sftp or https from:

https://aix.software.ibm.com/aix/efixes/security/x11_fix.tar

 

The links above are 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.

 

AIX LevelInterim Fix
7.1.5.8IJ43073sAa.221227.epkg.Z
7.1.5.9IJ43073sAa.221227.epkg.Z
7.1.5.10IJ43073sAa.221227.epkg.Z
7.2.5.3IJ42677s4a.221227.epkg.Z
7.2.5.4IJ42677s4a.221227.epkg.Z
7.3.0.1IJ42939s2a.221227.epkg.Z
7.3.0.2IJ42939s2a.221227.epkg.Z

 

Please note that the above table refers to AIX TL/SP level as opposed to fileset level, i.e., 7.2.5.4 is AIX 7200-05-04.

Please reference the Affected Products and Version section above for help with checking installed fileset levels.

 

VIOS LevelInterim Fix
3.1.2.21IJ43599s2a.221227.epkg.Z
3.1.2.30IJ43599s2a.221227.epkg.Z
3.1.2.40IJ43599s2a.221227.epkg.Z
3.1.3.10IJ43218s4a.221227.epkg.Z
3.1.3.14IJ43218s4a.221227.epkg.Z
3.1.3.21IJ43218s4a.221227.epkg.Z

 

To extract the fixes from the tar file:

tar xvf x11_fix.tar

cd x11_fix

 

Verify you have retrieved the fixes intact:

The checksums below were generated using the "openssl dgst -sha256 [file]" command as the following:

openssl dgst -sha256filename
14cbb2b9dd2ef656fecad2435cbaa25e671f4af95687157976f98353e53188c4IJ42677s4a.221227.epkg.Z
244a069d456404b1bccc17c200bbcc590b2de6b8b9fdfe9508f1ef719b28395aIJ42939s2a.221227.epkg.Z
4154bb1dcbcee62e94ffb5bb6ab797fed074c7c81f101bbbe93c59adadb073b3IJ43073sAa.221227.epkg.Z
47b0da532dde030e744ec65d2fb816475de656e4b1494f36a575fb76311a08b2IJ43218s4a.221227.epkg.Z
a978251ccc42081acf62b9adf4619fcb07d75e83d215dd8a4e5e4a78fe2136fcIJ43599s2a.221227.epkg.Z

 

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 Support at https://ibm.com/support/ and describe the discrepancy.

 

openssl dgst -sha256 -verify [pubkey_file] -signature [advisory_file].sig [advisory_file]

openssl dgst -sha256 -verify [pubkey_file] -signature [ifix_file].sig [ifix_file]

 

Published advisory OpenSSL signature file location:

https://aix.software.ibm.com/aix/efixes/security/x11_advisory.asc.sig

 

C. FIX AND INTERIM FIX INSTALLATION

 

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

 

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

None

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References

Complete CVSS v3 Guide
On-line Calculator v3

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Related Information

IBM Secure Engineering Web Portal
IBM Product Security Incident Response Blog

AIX Security Bulletin (ASCII format)

Acknowledgement

Change History

17 Jan 2023: Initial Publication

*The CVSS Environment Score is customer environment specific and will ultimately impact the Overall CVSS Score. Customers can evaluate the impact of this vulnerability in their environments by accessing the links in the Reference section of this Security Bulletin.

Disclaimer

According to the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) is an "industry open standard designed to convey vulnerability severity and help to determine urgency and priority of response." IBM PROVIDES THE CVSS SCORES ""AS IS"" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. CUSTOMERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF ANY ACTUAL OR POTENTIAL SECURITY VULNERABILITY. In addition to other efforts to address potential vulnerabilities, IBM periodically updates the record of components contained in our product offerings. As part of that effort, if IBM identifies previously unidentified packages in a product/service inventory, we address relevant vulnerabilities regardless of CVE date. Inclusion of an older CVEID does not demonstrate that the referenced product has been used by IBM since that date, nor that IBM was aware of a vulnerability as of that date. We are making clients aware of relevant vulnerabilities as we become aware of them. "Affected Products and Versions" referenced in IBM Security Bulletins are intended to be only products and versions that are supported by IBM and have not passed their end-of-support or warranty date. Thus, failure to reference unsupported or extended-support products and versions in this Security Bulletin does not constitute a determination by IBM that they are unaffected by the vulnerability. Reference to one or more unsupported versions in this Security Bulletin shall not create an obligation for IBM to provide fixes for any unsupported or extended-support products or versions.

Document Location

Worldwide

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Document Information

Modified date:
18 January 2023

UID

ibm16855827

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