Python package "zhmcclient" has passwords in clear text in its HMC and API logs
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Information disclosure
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-312.
Summary
zhmcclient is a pure Python client library for the IBM Z HMC Web Services API. In affected versions the Python package "zhmcclient" writes password-like properties in clear text into its HMC and API logs in the following cases: 1. The 'boot-ftp-password' and 'ssc-master-pw' properties when creating or updating a partition in DPM mode, in the zhmcclient API and HMC logs. 2. The 'ssc-master-pw' and 'zaware-master-pw' properties when updating an LPAR in classic mode, in the zhmcclient API and HMC logs. 3. The 'ssc-master-pw' and 'zaware-master-pw' properties when creating or updating an image activation profile in classic mode, in the zhmcclient API and HMC logs. 4. The 'password' property when creating or updating an HMC user, in the zhmcclient API log. 5. The 'bind-password' property when creating or updating an LDAP server definition, in the zhmcclient API and HMC logs. This issue affects only users of the zhmcclient package that have enabled the Python loggers named "zhmcclient.api" (for the API log) or "zhmcclient.hmc" (for the HMC log) and that use the functions listed above. This issue has been fixed in zhmcclient version 1.18.1. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| zhmcclient | python-zhmcclient | before 1.18.1 | 1.18.1 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | zhmcclient (PyPI) | before 1.18.1 | 1.18.1 | Patch available | GHSA-p57h-3cmc-xpjq |
- python-zhmcclient Vendorzhmcclient Affected before 1.18.1 Fixed in 1.18.1 Patch available CNA
- zhmcclient (PyPI) Vendor— Affected before 1.18.1 Fixed in 1.18.1 Patch available GHSA-p57h-3cmc-xpjq
Remediation
- Fix · CNA python-zhmcclient (zhmcclient) Fixed in 1.18.1
- Fix · GHSA-p57h-3cmc-xpjq zhmcclient (PyPI) Fixed in 1.18.1 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2024-53865
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-p57h-3cmc-xpjq
References
More zhmcclient vulnerabilities
- TI-2024-36138 Cleartext storage of sensitive information in zhmcclient zhmc-ansible-modules CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
Sources
- CVE-2024-53865 · CVE Program
- CVE-2024-53865 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-p57h-3cmc-xpjq · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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