CVE-2021-29740
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 · uneditedIBM Spectrum Scale 5.0.0 through 5.0.5.6 and 5.1.0 through 5.1.0.3 system core component is affected by a format string security vulnerability. An attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of process memory, potentially escalating their system privileges and taking control over the entire system with root access. IBM X-Force ID: 201474.
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 format string vulnerability exists in IBM Spectrum Scale's system core component (versions 5.0.0-5.0.5.6 and 5.1.0-5.1.0.3). The vulnerability allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code in process memory through format string injection, potentially escalating privileges to root and gaining full system control.
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>= 5.0.0.0, < 5.0.5.7>= 5.1.0, < 5.1.1.0CVSS 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
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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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Verify IBM Spectrum Scale is installedCheck for the presence of IBM Spectrum Scale by searching for its executable or package. Common methods include: (1) Run 'which mmversion' or 'which gpfs' to find Spectrum Scale commands; (2) Run 'rpm -qa | grep -i spectrum' or 'dpkg -l | grep -i spectrum' to list installed RPM or Debian packages; (3) Check for installation directories such as /usr/lpp/ SpectrumScale or /opt/ibm/spectrumscaleAffected if IBM Spectrum Scale is not found on the system, then this CVE does not apply
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Determine the installed versionRun the version identification command for IBM Spectrum Scale. Common methods include: (1) Execute 'mmversion -a' or 'mmversion' if available; (2) Query the installed package: 'rpm -qa | grep -i ibm-spectrum-scale' or 'dpkg -l | grep -i ibm-spectrum-scale'; (3) Check version files in the installation directory if direct command access is limitedAffected if Cannot determine the version - manual verification required through IBM support or documentation
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Compare against affected version rangesCompare the installed version number to the vulnerable ranges: 5.0.0.0 through 5.0.5.6 (any version >= 5.0.0.0 and < 5.0.5.7) and 5.1.0 through 5.1.0.3 (any version >= 5.1.0 and < 5.1.1.0). For example, version 5.0.5.0 is affected, version 5.0.5.7 is not; version 5.1.0.2 is affected, version 5.1.1.0 is notAffected if The installed version falls within 5.0.0.0-5.0.5.6 or 5.1.0-5.1.0.3, indicating the system is running a vulnerable version
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Identify the exposed attack surfaceDetermine if the system core component (the vulnerable component) is in use. IBM Spectrum Scale is typically deployed in cluster environments for parallel file system operations. Check if the core daemon or service is active by examining running processes (ps aux | grep -i scale) or checking cluster status via 'mmlscluster' or similar management commandsAffected if The system core component is not active or Spectrum Scale is not configured as a running service, the exploit pathway may be limited but the vulnerable code still exists in the installation
If IBM Spectrum Scale is installed and the version falls within 5.0.0.0-5.0.5.6 or 5.1.0-5.1.0.3, the environment is affected by this format string vulnerability in the system core component.
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 data5.0.5.75.1.1.0
Apply IBM's vendor patch for this vulnerability; upgrade to a fixed version of IBM Spectrum Scale beyond 5.0.5.6 or 5.1.0.3. Until patched, minimize exposure by restricting access to trusted users only.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing10.0 h
- Review / QA6.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-29740 — 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-2021-29740 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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