IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 19, Number 6
February 15, 2017 Doug Bidwell
Every two weeks, IBM updates the High Impact and Pervasive, or HIPER, PTFs that are so critical to the system that in Big Blue’s opinion they should be on every system as quickly as possible. In general, any HIPER PTF that affects any operating system releases is fixed as long as support for that IBM i release is still on support.
In the example below, from this week, the three problems are fixed on all three current IBM releases, that being 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3. The interesting part here is that OpenSSH 6.9 is vulnerable and that vulnerability is fixed in OpenSSH 7.4, but it is not clear if there is an easy way to upgrade the SSH code in any of the current releases. We are investigating this.
HIPERS V7R3 (SF99729) MF63237 An unexpected page fault in LIC stack switching function can result in abnormal system termination MF63202 Avoid SRCB6005121 partition termination when unexpected internal message data is encountered SI63791 This PTF forces the PTF MF63027 to permanently apply. ---------------------------------- HIPERS V7R2 (SF99719) SI63656 OpenSSH 6.9 is vulnerable to the following vulnerabilities fixed in OpenSSH 7.4: CVE-2016-10009 CVE-2016-10010 CVE-2016-10011 CVE-2016-10012 OpenSSH 6.9 has been patched to close the vulnerabilities MF63236 Same as MF63237 in V7R3 MF63201 Same as MF63202 in V7R3 ------------------------------ HIPERS V7R1 (SF99709) SI63657 same as SI63656 for V7R2 MF63235 Same as MF63237 in V7R3 MF63200 Same as MF63202 in V7R3
Here is the fun bit about HIPER PTFs. None of these HIPER PTFs are available in the cumulative updates for each IBM I release. The only way to keep current with HIPERs is to hunt through the PTFs every two weeks and add them.
The same with the security updates that also come out every two weeks or so as well.
One more thing we found out recently, and it is kind of critical. There are several WebSphere Application Server release levels that are covered in various IBM i releases. The idea behind a Program Temporary Fix, which is what PTF stands for, is that when you take the PTF and put it on your system, it fixes the problem. With the WebSphere code, you put the fixes on the system through a separate fixpack from the WebSphere teams and then you have to take further action to actually apply the patches. Starting with WebSphere 9, there are no longer any PTF groups associated with WebSphere. Now, you have to grab the WebSphere fixes separately from the WebSphere people and then patch this code separately from IBM i. Which defeats the entire purpose of an integrated system. We will be updating the guide next week to reflect this change in the WebSphere group PTFs and help you find these WebSphere updates.
IBM i PTF Guide Archive:
February 11, 2017: Volume 19, Number 6
February 4, 2017: Volume 19, Number 5
January 28, 2017: Volume 19, Number 4
January 21, 2017: Volume 19, Number 3
January 14, 2017: Volume 19, Number 2
January 7, 2017: Volume 19, Number 1
December 24, 2016: Volume 18, Number 52
December 17, 2016: Volume 18, Number 51
December 10, 2016: Volume 18, Number 50
December 3, 2016: Volume 18, Number 49
November 26, 2016: Volume 18, Number 48
November 19, 2016: Volume 18, Number 47
November 12, 2016: Volume 18, Number 46
November 5, 2016: Volume 18, Number 45
October 29, 2016: Volume 18, Number 44
October 22, 2016: Volume 18, Number 43
October 15, 2016: Volume 18, Number 42
October 8, 2016: Volume 18, Number 41
October 1, 2016: Volume 18, Number 40
September 24, 2016: Volume 18, Number 39
September 17, 2016: Volume 18, Number 38
September 10, 2016: Volume 18, Number 37
September 3, 2016: Volume 18, Number 36
August 27, 2016: Volume 18, Number 35
August 20, 2016: Volume 18, Number 34
August 13, 2016: Volume 18, Number 33
August 6, 2016: Volume 18, Number 32
July 30, 2016: Volume 18, Number 31
July 23, 2016: Volume 18, Number 30
July 16, 2016: Volume 18, Number 29
July 9, 2016: Volume 18, Number 28
July 2, 2016: Volume 18, Number 27
June 25, 2016: Volume 18, Number 26
June 18, 2016: Volume 18, Number 25
June 11, 2016: Volume 18, Number 24
June 4, 2016: Volume 18, Number 23
May 28, 2016: Volume 18, Number 22
May 21, 2016: Volume 18, Number 21
May 14, 2016: Volume 18, Number 20
May 7, 2016: Volume 18, Number 19
April 30, 2016: Volume 18, Number 18
April 23, 2016: Volume 18, Number 17
April 16, 2016: Volume 18, Number 16
April 9, 2016: Volume 18, Number 15
April 2, 2016: Volume 18, Number 14
March 26, 2016: Volume 18, Number 13
March 19, 2016: Volume 18, Number 12
March 12, 2016: Volume 18, Number 11
March 5, 2016: Volume 18, Number 10
February 27, 2016: Volume 18, Number 9
February 22, 2016: Volume 18, Number 8
February 13, 2016: Volume 18, Number 7
February 6, 2016: Volume 18, Number 6
January 30, 2016: Volume 18, Number 5
January 23, 2016: Volume 18, Number 4
January 16, 2016: Volume 18, Number 3
January 9, 2016: Volume 18, Number 2
January 2, 2016: Volume 18, Number 1
December 26, 2015: Volume 17, Number 52
December 19, 2015: Volume 17, Number 51
December 12, 2015: Volume 17, Number 50
December 5, 2015: Volume 17, Number 49
November 28, 2015: Volume 17, Number 48
November 21, 2015: Volume 17, Number 47
November 14, 2015: Volume 17, Number 46
November 7, 2015: Volume 17, Number 45
October 31, 2015: Volume 17, Number 44
October 24, 2015: Volume 17, Number 43
October 17, 2015: Volume 17, Number 42
October 10, 2015:olume 17, Number 41
October 3, 2015: Volume 17, Number 40
September 26, 2015: Volume 17, Number 39
September 19, 2015: Volume 17, Number 38
September 12, 2015: Volume 17, Number 37
September 5, 2015: Volume 17, Number 36
August 29, 2015: Volume 17, Number 35
August 22, 2015: Volume 17, Number 34
August 15, 2015: Volume 17, Number 33
August 1, 2015: Volume 17, Number 31
July 25, 2015: Volume 17, Number 30
July 18, 2015: Volume 17, Number 29
July 11, 2015: Volume 17, Number 28
July 4, 2015: Volume 17, Number 27
June 27, 2015: Volume 17, Number 26
June 20, 2015: Volume 17, Number 25
June 13, 2015: Volume 17, Number 24
June 6, 2015: Volume 17, Number 23
May 30, 2015: Volume 17, Number 22
May 23, 2015: Volume 17, Number 21
May 16, 2015: Volume 17, Number 20
May 9, 2015: Volume 17, Number 19
May 2, 2015: Volume 17, Number 18
April 25, 2015: Volume 17, Number 17
April 18, 2015: Volume 17, Number 16
April 11, 2015: Volume 17, Number 15
April 4, 2015: Volume 17, Number 14
March 28, 2015: Volume 17, Number 13
March 21, 2015: Volume 17, Number 12
March 14, 2015: Volume 17, Number 11
March 7, 2015: Volume 17, Number 10
February 28, 2015: Volume 17, Number 09
February 21, 2015: Volume 17, Number 08
February 14, 2015: Volume 17, Number 07
February 7, 2015: Volume 17, Number 06
January 31, 2015: Volume 17, Number 05
January 24, 2015: Volume 17, Number 04
January 17, 2015: Volume 17, Number 03
January 10, 2015: Volume 17, Number 02
January 3, 2015: Volume 17, Number 01
December 27, 2014: Volume 16, Number 52
December 20, 2014: Volume 16, Number 51
December 13, 2014: Volume 16, Number 50
December 6, 2014: Volume 16, Number 49
November 29, 2014: Volume 16, Number 48
November 22, 2014: Volume 16, Number 47
November 15, 2014: Volume 16, Number 46
November 8, 2014: Volume 16, Number 45
November 1, 2014: Volume 16, Number 44
October 25, 2014: Volume 16, Number 43
October 18, 2014: Volume 16, Number 42
October 11, 2014: Volume 16, Number 41
October 4, 2014: Volume 16, Number 40
September 27, 2014: Volume 16, Number 39
September 13, 2014: Volume 16, Number 37
September 6, 2014: Volume 16, Number 36
August 30, 2014: Volume 16, Number 35
August 23, 2014: Volume 16, Number 34
August 16, 2014: Volume 16, Number 33
August 9, 2014: Volume 16, Number 32
August 2, 2014: Volume 16, Number 31
July 26, 2014: Volume 16, Number 30
July 19, 2014: Volume 16, Number 29
July 12, 2014: Volume 16, Number 28
July 5, 2014: Volume 16, Number 27
June 28, 2014: Volume 16, Number 26
June 21, 2014: Volume 16, Number 25
