Denial of Service in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in IBM AIX 7.2, 7.3, and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 allows a local attacker to cause a denial of service by consuming excessive system resources when parsing directory records. This occurs due to improper handling of directory records, leading to uncontrolled resource usage.

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Detection Guidance

This vulnerability involves uncontrolled resource consumption when parsing directory records in IBM AIX and PowerVM VIOS. Detection requires checking system logs for abnormal resource usage during directory operations. Monitor for processes consuming excessive CPU or memory during file system operations. Use commands like 'top', 'ps', or 'vmstat' to identify unusual resource consumption patterns.

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Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could cause system slowdowns or crashes, disrupting normal operations. Since it requires local access, attackers must already have some level of system access to trigger the issue.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability causes uncontrolled resource consumption leading to denial of service, which may disrupt systems handling sensitive data. Such disruptions could impact compliance with GDPR by affecting availability of personal data processing systems or HIPAA by interrupting healthcare operations. However, the CVE does not provide specific compliance implications.

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Mitigation Strategies

Apply IBM-provided fixes or patches for AIX 7.2, 7.3, and PowerVM VIOS 4.1 to address uncontrolled resource consumption during directory record parsing.

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