# CVE-2024-53979: Information disclosure in zhmc-ansible-modules

> Attackers with access to logs or module outputs can read clear-text passwords from the IBM Z HMC Ansible collection.

- **Severity:** High 8.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 29 Nov 2024
- **Updated:** 4 Dec 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mw6c-f428-jx4f

## What is CVE-2024-53979?

CVE-2024-53979 is a high-severity vulnerability in zhmcclient zhmc-ansible-modules, published on 29 Nov 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

ibm.ibm_zhmc is an Ansible collection for the IBM Z HMC. The Ansible collection "ibm.ibm_zhmc" writes password-like properties in clear text into its log file and into the output returned by some of its Ansible module in the following cases: 1. The 'boot_ftp_password' and 'ssc_master_pw' properties are passed as input to the zhmc_partition Ansible module. 2. The 'ssc_master_pw' and 'zaware_master_pw' properties are passed as input to the zhmc_lpar Ansible module. 3. The 'password' property is passed as input to the zhmc_user Ansible module (just in log file, not in module output). 4. The 'bind_password' property is passed as input to the zhmc_ldap_server_definition Ansible module. These properties appear in the module output only when they were specified in the module input and when creating or updating the corresponding resources. They do not appear in the output when retrieving facts for the corresponding resources. These properties appear in the log file only when the "log_file" module input parameter is used. By default, no log file is created. This issue has been fixed in ibm.ibm_zhmc version 1.9.3. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

Weakness: CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-53979?


## How do I fix CVE-2024-53979?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-53979 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-53979 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-53979 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-53979 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-53979 is a high-severity vulnerability in zhmcclient zhmc-ansible-modules, published on 29 Nov 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-2024-53979 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: zhmcclient zhmc-ansible-modules. 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-2024-53979/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53979/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-53979
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-53979
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-53979

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53979/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.