Spectrum ScaleApplication · Ibm

CVE-2015-7488

MEDIUM · 5.9 CVSS v3.0 Published 2016-01-27
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
64/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
IBM Spectrum Scale 4.1.1.x before 4.1.1.4 and 4.2.x before 4.2.0.1, in certain LDAP File protocol configurations, allows remote attackers to discover an LDAP password via unspecified 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 · high confidence

IBM Spectrum Scale versions 4.1.1.x before 4.1.1.4 and 4.2.x before 4.2.0.1 contain an information disclosure vulnerability in certain LDAP File protocol configurations that allows remote attackers to discover LDAP passwords through unspecified vectors.

MitigationUpgrade IBM Spectrum Scale to version 4.1.1.4 or 4.2.0.1 or later. As a precautionary measure, rotate any LDAP credentials that may have been exposed, and review LDAP configuration settings to ensure passwords are not stored or transmitted in cleartext.

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
Spectrum ScaleApplication
Affected:= 4.1.1.0= 4.1.1.1= 4.1.1.2= 4.2.0.0

CVSS 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
High
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify if IBM Spectrum Scale is installed
    Run 'mmfsadm -V' or check for the presence of /usr/lfsmm directory which contains Scale installation
    Affected if The product is not installed or cannot be determined - not affected
  2. Determine the installed IBM Spectrum Scale version
    Execute 'mmfsadm -V' or check 'lsrelease -a' if available, or look in /usr/lfsmm directory for version files
    Affected if Version is 4.1.1.0, 4.1.1.1, 4.1.1.2, or 4.2.0.0 - vulnerable versions
  3. Check if LDAP File protocol is configured
    Examine IBM Spectrum Scale configuration files in /usr/lfsmm for LDAP-related settings, or run 'mmdiag --config' to view protocol configurations
    Affected if LDAP File protocol is enabled in the configuration - potentially affected if also on vulnerable version
  4. Review LDAP password handling in Scale configuration
    Inspect configuration files under /usr/lfsmm for any LDAP connection strings or password entries; look for files containing 'ldap' or 'LDAP' and check for cleartext password storage
    Affected if LDAP passwords are found stored in cleartext or in configuration files - confirms exposure scenario

Environment is affected only if running IBM Spectrum Scale version 4.1.1.0 through 4.1.1.2 or version 4.2.0.0 AND LDAP File protocol is configured with stored credentials.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade IBM Spectrum Scale to version 4.1.1.4 or 4.2.0.1 or later. As a precautionary measure, rotate any LDAP credentials that may have been exposed, and review LDAP configuration settings to ensure passwords are not stored or transmitted in cleartext.

Fix this in Spectrum Scale Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
21.0 hours of engineering $3,680
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,888.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-7488 — 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 sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-7488 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data