• Samba Patch Caps Busy Year for IBM i Security

  December 4, 2019 Alex Woodie

  IBM last week patched a moderately severe security flaw in IBM i’s Samba implementation that could enable hackers to access data they really shouldn’t be able to access. The disclosure caps a rather busy second half of the year for security patches on IBM i that saw 26 emergency PTFs and Yum updates for Node.js, Python, the Apache HTTP Server, OpenSSL, ISC Bind, IBM Navigator, and even Db2 Mirror for IBM i.

  On November 26, IBM issued this security bulletin to let people know about the new flaw in the Samba client. The flaw could allow a hacker to not …

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• IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 21, Number 48

  December 4, 2019 Doug Bidwell

  This is important: If you are running IBM i 7.3, the Db2 for IBM i Group SF99703, Level 16, dated November 13 is defective. Do not install this group. Instead, install Level 17, which was made available on November 25. If you are not able to do that, contact IBM for assistance. Our understanding is that critical PTFs were not included in Level 16 update for the Db2 group, and the resulting issue is that both the A and B side will lock up and require a SLIP install to repair. You want to avoid that.

  Also, there is updated …

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• Db2 For IBM i 7.3 Hits A Bad Patch

  December 2, 2019 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  As you know, we are among the people in the IBM i community who are always telling you to keep current on your PTF patches for the best operating system available on Power Systems. (No, we are not talking about AIX or Linux.) But every now and again, as happens with all operating systems, something gets fixed and the fix is worse than the problem it was solving.

  That has apparently happened with the database patches for the Db2 for i relational database management system embedded in the IBM i 7.3 release once the Db2 Group patches from November 13 …

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• IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 21, Number 47

  December 2, 2019 Doug Bidwell

  We hope that everyone in the United States had a Happy Thanksgiving, and we are still “playing ketchup” on the PTF leftovers before that holiday, which gets us into the final stretch of 2019, rolled around. Ketchup is good on turkey, but cranberry sauce is better.

  Just a reminder to everyone: IBM i 7.2 will reach end of support on April 30, 2021. That may seem like a long time from now, but you will be surprised at how fast it comes up. IBM did not say very much in its end of support announcement, which you can see here …

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• Latest TRs For IBM i Now Available

  November 20, 2019 Alex Woodie

  IBM last week delivered the latest IBM i operating system Technology Refreshes, giving good IBM i boys and girls around the world early Christmas presents in areas like programing, operations, database, and security. Here’s a quick recap of the new stuff in IBM i 7.4 TR1 and 7.3 TR7.

  There were several general enhancements with IBM i 7.4 TR1 and 7.3 TR7. For starters, administrators gained more control over resources available to the Integrated Web Server (the one powered by Apache) with the new capability to install it the Web server in a user-specified sub-system. Admins also get new functions …

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• IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 21, Issue 46

  November 20, 2019 Doug Bidwell

  There have been plenty of weeks when there was not much to report in PTF Land. This is not one of those weeks. We have lots of new cumes to tell you about, as well as news on Db2 Mirror for i and other tidbits for you. Let’s start with the cumes.

  When going through this week’s guide, be on the lookout for a new cume for 7.4 (C9304740), new cume for 7.3 (C9311730), and a new cume for 7.2 (C9297720). Also, don’t miss the new DB2 for IBM i Group for 7.4 and 7.3, as well as the new …

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• Db2 Web Query Lives On (Just Not V2.1)

  November 13, 2019 Alex Woodie

  There have been some rumors that IBM is going to sunset Db2 Web Query for i, or replace it with Cognos. Neither of those rumors is true, according to IBM, which recently made some changes to Db2 Web Query support.

  Db2 Web Query for i, of course, is the OEM version of Information Builders flagship BI and analytics tool, WebFOCUS, that IBM brought to market in the 2007 timeframe. The Java-based tool enables users to write queries for the Db2 for i database (and other databases) and view the results in a variety of pre-canned and custom dashboards and reports. …

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• IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 21, Number 45

  November 13, 2019 Doug Bidwell

  Alright everybody, listen up. Right off the bat, there are temporary storage PTFs – and two for IBM i 7.4. These have been added to the IBM i PTF Guide underneath each of the releases, so check it out.

  Also there is a new Security Bulletin that relates to multiple vulnerabilities in Python that affect IBM i 7.4, 7.3, and 7.2. See this link for details and remediation. Moreover, there is a new HIPER group for IBM i 7.4, 7.3, and 7.2, and there are also new Security groups for all of these supported releases, too.

  New (or Updated) Links …

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• IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 21, Number 44

  November 6, 2019 Doug Bidwell

  Another week, another security vulnerability that is being addressed in the IBM i software stack. As you see in this week’s issue of the IBM i PTF Guide, IBM Navigator for i is affected by CVE-2019-4450. See this link for further details. This CVE can be remediated by applying the following HTTP Group PTF:

  • Release 7.4: SF99662 level 2
  • Release 7.3: SF99722 level 19
  • Release 7.2: SF99713 level 32

  Also, you will see that there is a new WAS 8.5 Group PTF for IBM i 7.2 and IBM i 7.3.

  As we have already reported in The Four …

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• IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 21, Number 43

  October 30, 2019 Doug Bidwell

  Welcome to this week’s issue of the IBM i PTF Guide where we have a bunch of stuff to review, including a new Backup and Recovery Group for IBM i 7.4. Among other news are HIPERs for IBM i 7.4, 7.3, 7.2, and 7.1, and there is a new HTTP server group for IBM i 7.4, 7.3, and 7.2.

  In addition, we also have a set of Security Bulletins that cover multiple vulnerabilities in the IBM i HTTP Server affect IBM i, as follows:

  IBM i 7.4	IBM i 7.3	IBM i 7.2
  CVE-2019-9517	SI70961		SI70970		Not affected
  CVE-2019-10081	SI70961		

  …

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