CVE-2024-31878
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 i 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, and 7.5 Service Tools Server (SST) is vulnerable to SST user enumeration by a remote attacker. This vulnerability can be used by a malicious actor to gather information about SST users that can be targeted in further attacks. IBM X-Force ID: 287538.
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 i Service Tools Server (SST) contains a user enumeration vulnerability that allows remote attackers to discover valid SST usernames through differential responses when probing the system. This information disclosure aids attackers in targeting specific accounts in subsequent attacks.
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= 7.2= 7.3= 7.4= 7.5CVSS 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
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/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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Verify IBM i versionRun command DSPSYSVAL QSRVRLS or use GO CMDMSDF option 1 to display the installed IBM i release. Compare the displayed version to the affected range: 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, or 7.5.Affected if The displayed version is 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, or 7.5.
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Confirm SST is configuredRun WRKSRVTBLE (Work with Service Table) and look for entries with service type SST or Service Tools Server. Alternatively, check for directory /QIBM/UserData/ServiceTools or examine subsystem QUSRWRK for SST-related jobs.Affected if SST service entries exist in the service table or SST-related directories/jobs are present.
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Check SST network exposureRun NETSTAT *CNN and look for connections on SST ports (typically 2001, 2002, 2003). Use WRKTCPTTN to see if SST ports are in a listening state and are not restricted by TCP/IP filtering or EXIT programs.Affected if SST ports are in LISTEN status and accessible over the network rather than restricted to local-only or loopback.
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Verify SST authentication response behaviorFrom an external system, attempt to access SST login interface and submit two test requests: one with a known-valid username and another with a random invalid username. Compare HTTP response codes, response times, or error message content between the two attempts.Affected if The system returns measurably different responses (different error messages, timing, or status codes) depending on whether the username exists.
You are affected if you run IBM i 7.2-7.5 with SST enabled and network-accessible, and the system reveals whether usernames are valid through distinguishable login error responses.
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 dataApply IBM patches for CVE-2024-31878 when available. In the interim, restrict network access to SST to trusted internal systems and enforce strong password policies with account lockout to mitigate enumeration-driven attacks.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-31878 — 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-2024-31878 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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