CVE-2015-8523
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 · uneditedThe server in IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack 5.5.x and 6.x before 6.1.12.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (service crash) via crafted packets to a TCP port.
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 confidenceIBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack versions 5.5.x and 6.x before 6.1.12.2 contains a vulnerability in its server component where crafted TCP packets to an unspecified port can trigger a denial of service condition, causing the service to crash.
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
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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.
-
Identify if IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack is installedLocate the FastBack installation directory or check installed programs list. Typical locations include C:\Program Files\Tivoli\TSM\FastBack or /opt/tivoli/tsm/fastback on Unix systems.Affected if The product is found on the system
-
Determine the installed FastBack server versionCheck the version of the FastBack server component. This is typically available via the FastBack server console, in installation logs, or by querying the server executable properties. Compare your installed version against the affected range: versions 5.5.x and 6.x before 6.1.12.2 (including 5.5.0, 6.1.0 through 6.1.5).Affected if The installed version is 5.5.x or 6.x but lower than 6.1.12.2
-
Verify the FastBack server service is runningCheck if the FastBack server service or process is active. On Windows, use Services console or 'sc query' command. On Unix, use 'ps' or 'service' commands to check for the FastBack server process.Affected if The FastBack server service is currently running and the version is in the vulnerable range
-
Confirm network exposure of the FastBack serverIdentify if the FastBack server is listening on network ports and accessible from network segments. Use 'netstat' or similar tools to identify listening ports associated with FastBack.Affected if The server is network-accessible and the version is in the vulnerable range
The environment is affected if IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack server version 5.5.x or 6.x before 6.1.12.2 is installed and the server component is running and network-accessible.
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 to version 6.1.12.2 or later to patch the vulnerability. If immediate patching is not feasible, consider network segmentation or firewall rules to restrict unauthorized access to the affected TCP port.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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 locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-8523 — 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-2015-8523 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
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.
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.
- 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