CVE-2012-5954
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 IBM Tivoli Storage Manager for Space Management (aka TSM HSM) before 6.2.5.0 and 6.3.x before 6.3.1.0 allows remote attackers to read or modify HSM-managed file system objects 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 confidenceA vulnerability in IBM Tivoli Storage Manager for Space Management (HSM) versions prior to 6.2.5.0 and 6.3.1.0 allows remote attackers to read or modify HSM-managed file system objects via unspecified vectors. The CVSS 6.4 indicates network-exploitable attack with low complexity and no authentication required, resulting in partial confidentiality and integrity impact.
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<= 6.2.4.4= 5.5.0.0= 6.1.0.0= 6.2.0.0= 6.3.0.0= 6.3.0.17CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N
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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Identify installed IBM Tivoli Storage Manager for Space Management versionRun the following command to query the TSM HSM version: dsmc query version or check the TSM client version via 'dsmgetver -v'. On Windows, check the program version in Add/Remove Programs for 'IBM Tivoli Storage Manager HSM'. On Linux/Unix, check /opt/tivoli/tsm/client/hsm/bin/ version or run 'dsmc -v'.Affected if The version displayed is 5.5.0.0, 6.1.0.0, 6.2.0.0, 6.2.4.4 or earlier, 6.3.0.0, or 6.3.0.17, indicating the system falls within the vulnerable version range.
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Verify HSM (Hierarchical Storage Management) is enabledCheck if the TSM HSM client service is running. On Windows, run 'services.msc' and look for 'IBM Tivoli Storage Manager HSM Client' or 'Tivoli Storage Manager HSM'. On Linux/Unix, run 'ps -ef | grep -i hsm' or check for the dsmhsm process.Affected if The HSM client service is active and managing file systems, meaning the vulnerable HSM component is in use.
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Confirm HSM-managed file systems existRun 'dsmc query filespace' to list all file spaces under HSM management. On Windows, also check the HSM configuration file typically located in the TSM client directory. On Linux/Unix, check /opt/tivoli/tsm/client/hsm/dsm.sys for managed file systems.Affected if One or more file systems are actively managed by HSM, exposing them to potential unauthorized read or modification via this vulnerability.
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Check network exposure of TSM HSM interfacesReview firewall rules and network configuration to determine if the TSM HSM client ports (typically TCP ports 1581, 1582, or custom TSM ports) are exposed to untrusted networks. Use 'netstat -an | grep -E "1581|1582"' to identify listening ports.Affected if The TSM HSM service is reachable from untrusted network segments, as the vulnerability is network-exploitable without authentication.
A system is affected if it runs any version of IBM Tivoli Storage Manager for Space Management equal to or below 6.2.4.4, or versions 5.5.0.0, 6.1.0.0, 6.2.0.0, 6.3.0.0, or 6.3.0.17, with HSM actively managing file systems and network access available to the TSM HSM interfaces.
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 dataUpgrade IBM Tivoli Storage Manager for Space Management to version 6.2.5.0 or 6.3.1.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Until patched, restrict network access to TSM HSM interfaces and monitor for unauthorized access to managed file systems.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-5954 — 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-2012-5954 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
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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