CVE-2018-9068
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 IMM2 First Failure Data Capture function collects management module logs and diagnostic information when a hardware error is detected. This information is made available for download through an SFTP server hosted on the IMM2 management network interface. In versions earlier than 4.90 for Lenovo System x and earlier than 6.80 for IBM System x, the credentials to access the SFTP server are hard-coded and described in the IMM2 documentation, allowing an attacker with management network access to obtain the collected FFDC data. After applying the update, the IMM2 will create random SFTP credentials for use with OneCLI.
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 confidenceThe IMM2 management controller exposes First Failure Data Capture (FFDC) logs via a built-in SFTP server. Versions earlier than 4.90 (Lenovo) and 6.80 (IBM) use hard-coded SFTP credentials documented in IMM2 manuals, allowing any attacker with management network access to download sensitive diagnostic data containing system logs and hardware error information.
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< 4.90< 4.90< 4.90< 4.90< 4.90< 4.90< 4.90< 4.90CVSS 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:3.0/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Locate the IMM2 management controller firmware versionAccess the IMM2 web interface or use IPMI commands (e.g., ipmitool -I lanplus -H <IMM2_IP> -U <user> raw command) to retrieve the firmware version. Alternatively, check the firmware version via Lenovo XClarity Administrator or the server's BMC web interface under 'Firmware Inventory' or 'IMM2 Settings'.Affected if The displayed firmware version is earlier than 4.90 (for Lenovo models) or earlier than 6.80 (for IBM models).
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Confirm the product model matches an affected variantVerify that the managed server is one of the listed affected models: Lenovo Flex System X240 M4/M5, X280 X6, X440 M4, X480 X6, X880, Nextscale Nx360 M5, or System X3250 M6. Check the system information via the IMM2 interface or server chassis labels.Affected if The server model is one of the affected Flex System, Nextscale, or System X variants listed in the CVE.
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Determine if the IMM2 SFTP server is enabledIn the IMM2 web interface, navigate to 'IMM2 Settings' > 'SFTP Server' or use IPMI commands to query SFTP configuration status. Look for an option labeled 'FFDC Log Export via SFTP' or similar.Affected if The SFTP server is enabled and configured to allow FFDC log exports.
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Verify SFTP network accessibilityAttempt to connect to port 22 on the IMM2 IP address using an SFTP client. Use the publicly documented hard-coded credentials (referenced in IMM2 manuals) to test authentication. If the connection succeeds, the service is exposed.Affected if The IMM2 SFTP port (typically port 22) is reachable from the management network and accepts authentication with the known hard-coded credentials.
The environment is affected if the IMM2 firmware version is below 4.90 (Lenovo) or 6.80 (IBM), the server model matches an affected variant, and the IMM2 SFTP server is enabled and accessible on the management network.
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 data4.90
Update IMM2 firmware to version 4.90 (Lenovo) or 6.80 (IBM) or later, which generates random SFTP credentials instead of using hard-coded values. Restrict management network access to trusted personnel until patches are applied.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-9068 — 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-2018-9068 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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