IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 20, Number 4, The Spectre Of Meltdowns
January 31, 2018 Doug Bidwell
As we have pointed out, the Spectre and Meltdown speculative execution security vulnerabilities have been classified by IBM’s Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) as having a “High Severity” level.
This week’s update is somewhat chilling. IBM announced additional PTFs to be fully protected, meaning you have to do both, and also do the firmware fix.
But wait, there’s more. . . . The HIPER and Security groups for each release were re-released over the weekend, but only the first of each set below is included in the Security group. So, if you order and download the latest HIPERs and Security groups, you only get one of the two required fixes. Check it out:
For those of us who are waiting for all the fixes to show in groups before installing any of them – it takes an IPL to get any of them installed, so why not wait for all of them and do one IPL? – so it looks like we wait at least one more cycle. We are keeping a watchful eye out for any reports of Spectre/Meltdown victims, but have not heard anything as yet. Of course, if there are pressing business or security concerns, put them on now!
For OS managed firmware systems (repeated):
- The Power8 firmware fix for SC860_138_056/FW860.42 is MH01739.
- The Power7 and Power7+ firmware fix for AL770_120_032/FW770.91 is MH01740.
Both the appropriate OS PTF and the firmware fix are required to completely mitigate the risk from the vulnerability. The best resource for firmware updates is the following link: http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg3T1026811. This information is not complete as yet, we expect more on earlier Power models in the following weeks.
There are additional HIPERs and security fixes in their appropriate groups that are not to be ignored.
One last thing: We have added several links to the IBM i PTF Guide, with the most significant being links to the APAR Database for each release – check them out!
Below is the archive of the IBM i PTF Guide to help you work through the PTFs in chronological order:
January 27, 2018: Volume 20, Number 04
January 20, 2018: Volume 20, Number 03
January 13, 2018: Volume 20, Number 02
January 3, 2018: Volume 20, Number 01
December 30, 2017: Volume 19, Number 52
December 23, 2017: Volume 19, Number 51
December 16, 2017: Volume 19, Number 50
December 9, 2017: Volume 19, Number 49
December 2, 2017: Volume 19, Number 48
November 18, 2017: Volume 19, Number 46
November 11, 2017: Volume 19, Number 45
November 4, 2017: Volume 19, Number 44
October 28, 2017: Volume 19, Number 43
October 21, 2017: Volume 19, Number 42
October 14, 2017: Volume 19, Number 41
October 7, 2017: Volume 19, Number 40
September 30, 2017: Volume 19, Number 39
September 23, 2017: Volume 19, Number 38
September 16, 2017: Volume 19, Number 37
September 9, 2017: Volume 19, Number 36
September 2, 2017: Volume 19, Number 35
August 26, 2017: Volume 19, Number 34
August 19, 2017: Volume 19, Number 33
August 12, 2017: Volume 19, Number 32
August 5, 2017: Volume 19, Number 31
July 29, 2017: Volume 19, Number 30
July 22, 2017: Volume 19, Number 29
July 15, 2017: Volume 19, Number 28
July 1, 2017: Volume 19, Number 26
June 24, 2017: Volume 19, Number 25
June 17, 2017: Volume 19, Number 24
June 10, 2017: Volume 19, Number 23
June 3, 2017: Volume 19, Number 22
May 27, 2017: Volume 19, Number 21
May 20, 2017: Volume 19, Number 20
May 13, 2017: Volume 19, Number 19
May 6, 2017: Volume 19, Number 18
April 29, 2017: Volume 19, Number 17
April 22, 2017: Volume 19, Number 16
April 15, 2017: Volume 19, Number 15
April 8, 2017: Volume 19, Number 14
April 1, 2017: Volume 19, Number 13
March 25, 2017: Volume 19, Number 12
March 18, 2017: Volume 19, Number 11
March 11, 2017: Volume 19, Number 10
March 4, 2017: Volume 19, Number 9
February 25, 2017: Volume 19, Number 8
February 18, 2017: Volume 19, Number 7
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
