IBM Power Systems FSP: authenticated admin can force a persistent degraded operating mode

Impact

An administrator-level FSP account can place the managed system into a non-production operational mode that disables system components. IBM states the condition survives FSP resets and only clears when an operator explicitly removes the configuration - so the usual first response of power-cycling the service processor does not recover the machine. The practical effect on a fleet is capacity that goes away and stays away, on nodes that cannot be brought back by remote reboot, and the CVSS scope change reflects that the damage lands on the managed host rather than only the service processor. Impact is availability only; there is no confidentiality claim in the record.

Who can reach it

Adjacent-network access to the FSP with authenticated administrator-level credentials. Authentication is required.

What to do

Apply the firmware level from IBM advisory node 7283896 for the affected levels (FW1120.00, FW1110.00-FW1110.30, FW1060.00-FW1060.80, FW950.00-FW950.H2); the record names no fixed level. Remediation is a service-processor firmware flash with the node out of service. If a system has already been forced into the degraded mode, recovery requires clearing the configuration by hand, not a reset.

References