CVE-2010-4605
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 · uneditedUnspecified vulnerability in the backup-archive client in IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) 5.3.x before 5.3.6.10, 5.4.x before 5.4.3.4, 5.5.x before 5.5.3, 6.1.x before 6.1.4, and 6.2.x before 6.2.2 on Unix and Linux allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via unknown vectors.
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 · moderate confidenceThis is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) backup-archive client on Unix and Linux platforms. The vulnerability allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files on the system via unspecified vectors, potentially enabling privilege escalation or system compromise. Affected versions span TSM 5.3.x through 6.2.x before their respective patched releases.
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 data= 5.3.0= 5.3.1= 5.3.2= 5.3.2.4= 5.3.3= 5.3.4= 5.3.5.1= 5.3.6.1= 5.3.6.2= 5.3.6.3= 5.3.6.4= 5.3.6.5CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:C/A:C
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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Verify TSM client is installedRun 'which dsmc' or check common installation directories such as /opt/tivoli/tsm/, /usr/tivoli/tsm/, or /opt/TSM/ for the TSM client binariesAffected if TSM client executable (dsmc) is found on the system
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Determine installed TSM versionRun 'dsmc -v' or 'dsmc query version' to display the installed TSM backup-archive client version numberAffected if The displayed version falls within 5.3.0 through 5.3.6.5, or is an unpatched 5.4.x, 5.5.x, 6.1.x, or 6.2.x version earlier than 5.3.6.10, 5.4.3.4, 5.5.3, 6.1.4, or 6.2.2
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Confirm operating system is Unix or LinuxRun 'uname -s' or check the OS type. This vulnerability specifically affects Unix and Linux platformsAffected if The system is running Unix or Linux (not Windows)
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Check TSM client directory permissionsInspect permissions on the TSM client installation directory (commonly /opt/tivoli/tsm or /usr/tivoli/tsm) using 'ls -la <directory>' to verify if unprivileged local users have write accessAffected if Local non-root users have write permissions to TSM client directories or configuration files
A user is affected if they have TSM backup-archive client version 5.3.0 through 5.3.6.5, or an unpatched 5.4.x, 5.5.x, 6.1.x, or 6.2.x version installed on Unix or Linux with accessible client directories.
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 dataApply the vendor-supplied patches to upgrade TSM client to version 5.3.6.10, 5.4.3.4, 5.5.3, 6.1.4, or 6.2.2 or later. As an interim control, restrict local user access to TSM client directories and monitor for unauthorized file modifications.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2010-4605 — 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-2010-4605 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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