IBM Support

QRadar M5 xSeries Firmware V6.0.0 for 1U and 2U Appliances (USB/IMG for on-premise installations)

Release Notes


Abstract

This firmware update (V6.0.0) provided by IBM updates QRadar® M5 appliances with microcode security fixes and includes updates for UEFI, IMM2, DSA, RAID controllers, HDD software, and an Emulex update. This firmware can be used on all QRadar M5s for both 1U or 2U form factor appliances. This firmware update is intended for local USB updates of on-premise M5 xSeries 1U and 2U form factor hardware.

Content

Important: Select a tab to read each step of the firmware procedure.
 

Part 1: About the M5 Firmware V6.0.0 USB/On-premise Update

The M5 firmware update V6.0.0 is intended to remotely update firmware on QRadar appliances. This update adds new firmware versions for UEFI, IMM, raid controller, and HDD updates. This firmware also resolves several CVEs as outlined in these release notes.

The USB drive creation and installation instructions are on tab 'Part 2. Installing Firmware Updates'. These instructions guide customers through the creation of a bootable USB drive to upgrade their firmware with an image (IMG) file from IBM Fix Central. A remote installation option is available for administrators who prefer to install their M5 firmware updates remotely or for administrators who do not allow USB keys in their production environments. For more information on remote installations using, see QRadar Firmware 6.0.0 for xSeries M5 Appliances (IMM/ISO for remote installations.

Administrator notes and important information

 
  • Administrators must ensure that all firmware check boxes are selected when the comparison screen displays suggested firmware changes to be installed. We have reports that not all check boxes were selected and administrators had to apply the update again. Administrators can verify all check boxes are selected to prevent extra downtime.
  • If your appliance is in a HA pair, there are configuration steps required to set the status properly for your primary and secondary high-availability appliances. For more information on HA pair status, see: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/713147#HA.
  • Administrators must enable IMM.Over.LAN on the xSeries appliance BEFORE the firmware update is applied. For information on how to enable this setting, see: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/278761.

 

Supported appliances, types, and model information

 

This firmware update applies to the following IBM Security QRadar M5 appliances, server type, or Machine type models:

Appliance Name Server Type Lenovo Server Machine Type IBM Machine Type-Model
IBM Security QRadar Event Collector 1501 G3 x3550 M5 MT 8869 4412-Q4D
IBM Security QRadar xx05 G3 x3550 M5 MT 8869 4412-Q1E
IBM Security QRadar Network Insights 1901 x3550 M5 MT 8869 4412-F4Y
IBM QRadar QFlow Collector 1202/1301    x3550 M5 MT 8869 4412-Q7C
IBM QRadar QFlow Collector 1310    x3550 M5 MT 8869 4412-Q8C
IBM Security QRadar xx29 x3650 M5 MT 8871 4412-Q2A
IBM Security QRadar xx48 x3650 M5 MT 8871 4412-Q3B
IBM Security QRadar Incident Forensics x3650 M5 MT 8871 4412-F1A
IBM Security QRadar Network Insights 1920 x3650 M5 MT 8871 4412-F3F
IBM Security QRadar Network Packet Capture x3650 M5 MT 8871 4412-F2C
Table 1: List of appliances that the M5 appliance firmware V6.0.0 can update.
 
 

Important file changes and prerequisites in this firmware update

 

The following table lists the software versions contained within the firmware package. The core change in release V6.0.0 is to provide new UEFI microcode security updates and IMM2 updates for administrators. Administrators must ensure that their M5 appliance includes the minimum version outlined in the Prerequisite version column.

Component Prerequisite version Firmware version in this update File name 
UEFI/BIOS (1U 8869) 2.00 (TBEG22V) tbeg48a-3.30 oem_fw_uefi_tbeg48a-3.30_anyos_32-64.uxz
UEFI/BIOS (2U 8871) 2.00 (TBEG22V) tceg48a-3.30 oem_fw_uefi_tceg48a-3.30_anyos_32-64.uxz
IMM2 3.75 (TCOE26O) tcoe56b-5.70 oem_fw_imm2_tcoe56b-5.70_anyos_noarch
RAID Controller M1215 None 1200-24.21.0-0126-2 lnvgy_fw_raid_mr3.0.1200-24.21.0-0126-2_linux_x86-64.bin
RAID Controller M5210 None 5200-24.21.0-0126-2 lnvgy_fw_raid_mr3.0.5200-24.21.0-0126-2_linux_x86-64.bin
HDD Update  None 1.33.02-0
lnvgy_fw_drives_all-1.33.02-0_linux_x86-64.bin
DSA  None dsalb6s-10.8 lnvgy_fw_dsa_dsalb6s-10.8_anyos_32-64.uxz
Emulex* None 12.40a6-2 elx-lnvgy_fw_fc_lp.08-2.10x6-12.40a6-2_linux_x86-64.bin

Table 2: All firmware version updates are noted in this table.

 

 

Security issues resolved in this firmware update

There are not reported CVE mitigations in this release, but several important issues are resolved.

Component File name  CVEs resolved in this package
UEFI/BIOS (1U 8869) oem_fw_uefi_tbeg48a-3.30_anyos_32-64.uxz CVE-2020-0591, CVE-2020-0592, CVE-2020-8738, CVE-2020-8740, CVE-2020-8764.

Other enhancements: Adds 2020.2 Intel Platform Update (IPU).
UEFI/BIOS (2U 8871) oem_fw_uefi_tceg48a-3.30_anyos_32-64.uxz
No CVEs with IMM exposure.

Additional firmware changes to address security vulnerabilities in open source packages, but for which there is no IMM2 exposure:
CVE-2019-6111, CVE-2019-6110, CVE-2019-6109, CVE-2019-16905, CVE-2018-20685, CVE-2016-8858, CVE-2016-7407, CVE-2016-6210, CVE-2016-1907, CVE-2016-1235, CVE-2016-10010, CVE-2015-8325, CVE-2015-6565, CVE-2014-9278, CVE-2014-2653, CVE-2014-2532.

Other resolved issues:
  • Fixed a problem where different RAID firmware information presented in IMM2.
  • Fixed a problem where update firmware may fail to enter maintenance mode thru IMM2 with LXCA 2.8.
IMM2 oem_fw_imm2_tcoe56b-5.70_anyos_noarch
None
DSA  lnvgy_fw_dsa_dsalb6s-10.8_anyos_32-64.uxz None

Resolved issues:
  • Modify LUF code due to changes in LUF API2.
  • Fixed a libcurl error when used with proxy.
Emulex* elx-lnvgy_fw_fc_lp.08-2.10x6-12.40a6-2_linux_x86-64.bin
None
RAID Controller M1215 lnvgy_fw_raid_mr3.0.1200-24.21.0-0126-2_linux_x86-64.bin None

Resolved issues:
  • Incomplete onfi configuration leads to FW HALT. (DCSG00051973)
  • SAS9341-8i board encounters 'Previous configuration completely missing at boot' error. (DCSG00067176)
  • MR 6.14 - MR FW resets the controller on/off property "allowBootWithPinnedCache" on every boot. (DCSG00069702)
  • Unable to import foreign config.(DCSG00041146, a port of defect DCSG00025975)
  • Repeated TASK ABORTS and access to the data store lost. (DCSG00066009, a port of defect DCSG00063321)
  • Cache offload is not getting completed during dummy descriptor configuration. (DCSG00048845)
RAID Controller M5210 lnvgy_fw_raid_mr3.0.5200-24.21.0-0126-2_linux_x86-64.bin None

Resolved issues:
  • Incomplete onfi configuration leads to FW HALT. (DCSG00051973)
  • SAS9341-8i board encounters 'Previous configuration completely missing at boot' error. (DCSG00067176)
  • MR 6.14 - MR FW resets the controller on/off property "allowBootWithPinnedCache" on every boot. (DCSG00069702)
  • Unable to import foreign config. (DCSG00041146, a port Of Defect DCSG00025975)
  • Repeated TASK ABORTS and access to the data store lost.(DCSG00066009, a port Of Defect DCSG00063321)
  • Cache offload is not getting completed during dummy descriptor configuration.(DCSG00048845)
HDD Update  lnvgy_fw_drives_all-1.33.02-0_linux_x86-64.bin None

Table 3: Security issues resolved in the M5 firmware update v6.0.0.

 


 

 

 


IMPORTANT: Administrators must enable IMM.Over.LAN on the xSeries appliance BEFORE the firmware update is applied. For information on how to enable this setting, see: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/278761.

Creating your USB flash drive for the firmware update requires a Windows™ host and the administrator or USB drive must be onsite with the appliance. The firmware update can take up to 60 minutes complete per appliance and the administrator will be required to reboot the appliance after the firmware install completes. The firmware upgrade procedures should be completed during a change window or during maintenance time for your QRadar appliances.

Requirements

  • An 8 GB or larger USB flash drive
  • A desktop or workstation running one the following operating systems:
    • Windows 10
    • Windows 7
    • Windows 2008R2
    • Windows 2008
    • Windows Vista
    • Windows XP
 

Creating the bootable USB drive

 
  1. Download the QRadar M5 appliance firmware update from IBM Fix Central.
    Note: Administrators can select either download link as the firmware download is identical for all QRadar versions.
  2. Download the Rufus tool from Rufus Downloads (http://rufus.akeo.ie/downloads/).
  3. Insert the USB flash drive into a USB port on your Windows laptop or workstation.
  4. Open Rufus and configure the properties.
    Parameter Value
    Device Select your USB drive
    Boot Selection Select Qradar_All_M5_1U_MT8869_x3550_2U_MT8871_x3650_6_0_0.img
    Partition scheme MBR (Default)
    Target system BIOS (or UEFI-CSM) (Default)
    File system FAT32 (Default)
    Cluster size 4096 bytes (Default)
  5. Click Start. The image is loaded on the USB drive.
    image-20181204171911-1
  6. After the installation finishes, safely eject the USB flash drive from your computer.​
 

Installing the firmware update

 

This procedure requires you to reboot your QRadar appliance after the firmware update is installed. Administrators should expect a data outage while firmware updates are applied.

  1. Insert the USB drive in to the M5 QRadar appliance.
  2. Reboot the system to start the software installation process.
  3. As the appliance is rebooting, press the F12 key to select a boot device.
    image-20180813083406-5
     
  4. Select the bootable firmware image, for example, USB Storage and Press Enter.
    NOTE: If the Legacy check box is selected, the USB drive might not boot the USB as expected. Users might be required to clear the Legacy check box, then select USB storage. 
    image-20180813083546-7
  5. The IBM ToolsCenter Welcome page is displayed.
  6. When prompted, select the Updates option.
    image-20180813083630-8
     
  7. Verify that the bootable media shows the correct machine type for the appliance.
    Hardware Number
    Server Type x3550 M5
    x3650 M5
    Server Machine Type MT 8869
    MT 8871
  8. To start the update, select Click here to start update.
    image-20190407121528-2
     
  9. Select your language and click I accept the terms in the license agreement to continue.
    image-20180813084457-10
  10. The IBM UpdateXpress System Pack Installer compares the current package with the installed firmware
    image-20190924131101-3
     
  11. Important: Verify that all check boxes are selected to complete the required updates. Previously, users reported an issue where UEFI updates were not selected by default.
     
  12. If your M5 appliance has a secondary firmware bank it will be updated automatically.
    Important: Administrators should be aware that if you are prompted with a Target the secondary firmware bank check box, you should click Next without selecting this option. If you target the secondary firmware back the installer will IGNORE the firmware update to the primary bank and the installation will need to be reapplied to update the primary firmware bank for the appliance.
     
  13. To start applying the updates, click Next on the Update Options page.
    image-20190924131302-4
     
  14. To apply the firmware updates, click Next on the Update Options page.
    image-20190407121634-5
     
  15. Verify that all the firmware updates are applied, and click Next to complete the update.
    image-20190409155956-1
     
  16. After the update is complete, click Save Log to save the installation log to the USB flash drive. This file can be provided to support in case any issues occurred during the update.
    image-20190407121505-1
     
  17. Select the USB flash drive and click OK.
     
  18. After the log is saved, click Finish to reboot the appliance.

    Results
    Wait for the appliance to reboot. After any UEFI update, administrators should allow the appliance to boot past the F1 prompt to ensures that all updates are installed.  
 

Troubleshooting


If you have any issues with the appliance booting or with firmware update problems, you can open a case with QRadar Support. If you have issues with the appliance booting after you update firmware, attach your update collect preboot DSA logs from the QRadar appliance.

The firmware installer might issue an Emulex error to administrators that can be ignored. Not all QRadar M5 appliances ship with an Emulex card. The firmware update contains software to attempt to update the Emulex drivers; however, if the appliance does not include an Emulex, an installation error will be displayed, "Install did not succeed".


 

Note: Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, and the Windows logo are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

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Document Information

Modified date:
01 April 2021

UID

ibm16421411

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