CVE-2015-8520
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 · uneditedBuffer overflow in the server in IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack 5.5.x and 6.x before 6.1.12.2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted command, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-8519, CVE-2015-8521, and CVE-2015-8522.
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 confidenceA buffer overflow vulnerability in IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack server allows remote unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted commands. This affects versions 5.5.x and 6.x before 6.1.12.2, with a critical CVSS score of 9.8 indicating ease of exploitation and severe 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= 5.5.0= 6.1.0= 6.1.0.1= 6.1.1= 6.1.1.0= 6.1.2= 6.1.2.0= 6.1.3= 6.1.3.0= 6.1.4= 6.1.4.0= 6.1.5CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 if IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack server is installedCheck for the presence of the FastBack server installation on the system. Common locations include program files directories. Look for executables or services named 'FastBack' or 'TSM FastBack' in the system.Affected if The product is not installed or no FastBack server components are found.
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Determine the installed FastBack server versionUse system utilities to query the installed version. On Windows, check the program version through the control panel or the executable properties. On Linux/Unix, use commands like 'rpm -q' or check installation logs if available.Affected if The installed version is 5.5.x or 6.x and matches any of these: 5.5.0, 6.1.0, 6.1.0.1, 6.1.1, 6.1.1.0, 6.1.2, 6.1.2.0, 6.1.3, 6.1.3.0, 6.1.4, 6.1.4.0, or 6.1.5.
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Verify if the FastBack server service is running and listening on the networkCheck for running processes related to FastBack server and verify network listening status using commands like 'netstat' or 'ss' to identify open ports associated with the service.Affected if The FastBack server service is running and bound to a network interface, making it accessible to remote attackers.
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Confirm the server is reachable from untrusted networksReview firewall rules and network configuration to determine if the FastBack server port is exposed to untrusted networks or the internet. Check inbound rules allowing external connections to the FastBack service port.Affected if The FastBack server port is accessible from untrusted network segments or external IP addresses without proper access controls.
The environment is affected if IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack server version 5.5.x or 6.x (specifically 5.5.0 through 6.1.5) is installed, the server service is running, and it is network-accessible to potential attackers.
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.
dbcve · scopedApply vendor patch 6.1.12.2 or later to all affected FastBack servers. If patching is not immediately possible, restrict network access to the FastBack server port and implement additional monitoring for suspicious command patterns.
IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack 6.1.12.2
- 1. Review IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack compatibility and upgrade documentation for your environment
- 2. Schedule a maintenance window for the upgrade process
- 3. Back up all critical data and configuration files for the current FastBack installation
- 4. Download IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack version 6.1.12.2 or later from IBM Fix Central or your authorized IBM support channel
- 5. Stop all running FastBack services and related processes
- 6. Install version 6.1.12.2 following IBM's installation instructions
- 7. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the version number in the FastBack server interface
- 8. Restart FastBack services and confirm all components are operational
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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-2015-8520 — 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-2015-8520 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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- 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
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