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Storwize V7000 FirmwareOperating system · Ibm

CVE-2018-1438

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2018-05-17
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.5.0.14 / 7.7.1.9 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable 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 SAN Volume Controller, IBM Storwize, IBM Spectrum Virtualize and IBM FlashSystem products ( 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.6.1, 7.7, 7.7.1, 7.8, 7.8.1, 8.1, and 8.1.1) web handler /DLSnap could allow an unauthenticated attacker to read arbitrary files on the system. IBM X-Force ID: 139566.

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

The /DLSnap web handler in IBM storage products (SAN Volume Controller, Storwize, Spectrum Virtualize, FlashSystem versions 6.1-8.1.1) contains a path traversal vulnerability allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to read arbitrary files on the system by manipulating file paths in the request.

MitigationApply IBM's security patches for the affected versions. If patching is delayed, restrict network access to the management web interface using firewalls or ACLs to prevent unauthenticated access.

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
Storwize V7000 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:>= 6.1.0.0, < 7.5.0.14>= 7.7.0.0, < 7.7.1.9>= 7.8.0.0, < 7.8.1.6>= 8.1.1.0, < 8.1.1.2>= 8.1.2.0, < 8.1.2.1
Storwize V5000 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:>= 6.1.0.0, < 7.5.0.14>= 7.7.0.0, < 7.7.1.9>= 7.8.0.0, < 7.8.1.6>= 8.1.1.0, < 8.1.1.2>= 8.1.2.0, < 8.1.2.1
Storwize V3700 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:>= 6.1.0.0, < 7.5.0.14>= 7.7.0.0, < 7.7.1.9>= 7.8.0.0, < 7.8.1.6>= 8.1.1.0, < 8.1.1.2>= 8.1.2.0, < 8.1.2.1
Storwize V3500 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:>= 6.1.0.0, < 7.5.0.14>= 7.7.0.0, < 7.7.1.9>= 7.8.0.0, < 7.8.1.6>= 8.1.1.0, < 8.1.1.2>= 8.1.2.0, < 8.1.2.1
Storwize V9000 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:>= 6.1.0.0, < 7.5.0.14>= 7.7.0.0, < 7.7.1.9>= 7.8.0.0, < 7.8.1.6>= 8.1.1.0, < 8.1.1.2>= 8.1.2.0, < 8.1.2.1
San Volume Controller FirmwareOperating system
Affected:>= 6.1.0.0, < 7.5.0.14>= 7.7.0.0, < 7.7.1.9>= 7.8.0.0, < 7.8.1.6>= 8.1.1.0, < 8.1.1.2>= 8.1.2.0, < 8.1.2.1
Spectrum VirtualizeApplication
Affected:>= 6.1.0.0, < 7.5.0.14>= 7.7.0.0, < 7.7.1.9>= 7.8.0.0, < 7.8.1.6>= 8.1.1.0, < 8.1.1.2>= 8.1.2.0, < 8.1.2.1
Spectrum Virtualize For Public CloudApplication
Affected:>= 6.1.0.0, < 7.5.0.14>= 7.7.0.0, < 7.7.1.9>= 7.8.0.0, < 7.8.1.6>= 8.1.1.0, < 8.1.1.2>= 8.1.2.0, < 8.1.2.1

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/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 the IBM storage product model
    Access the system management GUI or CLI and determine the exact product model (e.g., Storwize V7000, SAN Volume Controller, Spectrum Virtualize)
    Affected if The product model is one of: Storwize V7000, V5000, V3700, V3500, V9000, SAN Volume Controller, Spectrum Virtualize, or Spectrum Virtualize for Public Cloud
  2. Check the installed firmware version
    In the management GUI, go to Settings > System > Updates or use the CLI command 'lsfirmware' to retrieve the current firmware version
    Affected if The firmware version is within these ranges: 6.1.0.0 to 7.5.0.13, 7.7.0.0 to 7.7.1.8, 7.8.0.0 to 7.8.1.5, 8.1.1.0 to 8.1.1.1, or 8.1.2.0 (any version below the fixed releases)
  3. Confirm the web management interface is enabled
    Verify that the GUI service is running by accessing the product's web interface over HTTPS on port 443, or check via CLI that the gui_monitord service is active
    Affected if The web management interface is reachable and the /DLSnap handler is available (this is enabled by default on affected versions)
  4. Test for path traversal vulnerability exposure
    If you have authorization, send a crafted request to /DLSnap with path traversal sequences (e.g., /DLSnap/..%2F..%2Fetc%2Fpasswd) to verify the vulnerability exists; otherwise, check network exposure of the management port
    Affected if The /DLSnap endpoint responds to path traversal requests or the management interface is exposed to untrusted networks without firewall protection

You are affected if your product model is one of the listed IBM storage systems AND your firmware version falls within the vulnerable ranges AND the web management interface is accessible.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 7.5.0.14 / 7.7.1.9 / 7.8.1.6 or later
Fixed in 7.5.0.147.7.1.97.8.1.6
Interim mitigation

Apply IBM's security patches for the affected versions. If patching is delayed, restrict network access to the management web interface using firewalls or ACLs to prevent unauthenticated access.

Fix this in Storwize V7000 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,840
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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-2018-1438 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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