# CVE-2024-31891: IBM Storage Scale privilege escalation

> A local attacker with command line access to the scalemgmt user can elevate privileges to gain root access on the host operating system.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Dec 2024
- **Updated:** 16 Dec 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vg55-7pcg-mj4h

## What is CVE-2024-31891?

CVE-2024-31891 is a high-severity vulnerability in IBM Storage Scale, published on 14 Dec 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Storage Scale GUI 5.1.9.0 through 5.1.9.6 and 5.2.0.0 through 5.2.1.1 

contains a local privilege escalation vulnerability. A malicious actor with command line access to the 'scalemgmt' user can elevate privileges to gain root access to the host operating system.

Weakness: CWE-250 (Execution with Unnecessary Privileges)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-31891?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Storage Scale.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-31891?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-31891 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-31891 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-31891 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Storage Scale

- [CVE-2026-13460](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-13460/): Hardcoded credentials in Storage Scale (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2025-1137](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-1137/): IBM Storage Scale command injection (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2024-31892](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-31892/): IBM Storage Scale SQL injection (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2026-19483](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-19483/): Information disclosure in Storage Scale (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2025-14604](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-14604/): Privilege escalation in Storage Scale (medium 6.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-31891 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-31891 is a high-severity vulnerability in IBM Storage Scale, published on 14 Dec 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-31891 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Storage Scale. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-31891/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-31891/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-31891
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-31891
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-31891

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-31891/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.