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CVE-2016-8998 IBM CVE debrief

CVE-2016-8998 describes a buffer overflow issue in IBM Tivoli Storage Manager Server 7.1. According to NVD and IBM’s referenced advisory, an authenticated user with TSM administrator privileges could use a specially crafted SQL query to trigger the flaw and potentially execute arbitrary code on the server. NVD classifies the weakness as CWE-119 and assigns a high-severity CVSS 3.0 score of 7.2.

Vendor
IBM
Product
Tivoli Storage Manager
CVSS
HIGH 7.2
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2017-02-24
Original CVE updated
2026-05-13
Advisory published
2017-02-24
Advisory updated
2026-05-13

Who should care

IBM Tivoli Storage Manager administrators, backup/storage operations teams, vulnerability and patch management teams, and anyone responsible for servers running the affected Tivoli Storage Manager Server 7.1 releases listed by NVD.

Technical summary

The vulnerability is documented as a network-reachable buffer overflow that requires high privileges: CVSS 3.0 is AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. The NVD record ties the issue to IBM Tivoli Storage Manager Server 7.1 and lists multiple vulnerable 7.1.x CPEs. The stated impact is arbitrary code execution on the server after a specially crafted SQL query is processed by the product.

Defensive priority

High

Recommended defensive actions

  • Check whether any IBM Tivoli Storage Manager Server 7.1 deployments match the vulnerable CPEs listed in NVD.
  • Apply the IBM patch or remediation guidance referenced in IBM Reference #1998747.
  • Restrict and audit TSM administrator accounts, since exploitation requires authenticated administrative privileges.
  • Monitor server logs and change records for unusual SQL activity or unexpected administrative actions.
  • Prioritize remediation in exposed or production backup infrastructure because successful exploitation could lead to full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.

Evidence notes

This debrief is based on the official CVE record, the NVD detail page, and the IBM PSIRT/vendor reference included in the source corpus. The vulnerability summary, affected Tivoli Storage Manager 7.1 CPEs, CVSS vector, and CWE-119 classification come from the NVD record. The IBM advisory reference (IBM Reference #1998747) corroborates the vendor remediation context. No exploit steps or unsupported impact claims are included.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2016-8998 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-8998

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2016-8998 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-8998

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.