LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2021-39048: IBM Spectrum Protect Client 7.1 and 8.1 is vulnerable to a stack based buffer overflow, caused by improper...

IBM Spectrum Protect Client 7.1 and 8.1 is vulnerable to a stack based buffer overflow, caused by improper bounds checking. A local attacker could exploit this vulnerability and cause a denial of service. IBM X-Force ID: 214438.

MediumCVSS 6.2Not KEV-listedUpdated
Discuss exposureBack to CVEs
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

IBM Spectrum Protect Client 7.1 and 8.1 have a local stack buffer overflow that can crash the client and disrupt backup or recovery operations. The sources describe denial of service only, not data theft or code execution.

Executive priority

Schedule remediation in the normal vulnerability cycle, with higher priority for critical backup infrastructure. The business concern is service disruption to backup or recovery operations, not confirmed remote compromise.

Technical view

CVE-2021-39048 is an improper bounds checking issue in IBM Spectrum Protect Client 7.1 and 8.1. CVSS 3.0 is 6.2 with local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges, no user interaction, and high availability impact. Confidentiality and integrity impact are listed as none.

Likely exposure

Exposure is limited to hosts with IBM Spectrum Protect Client 7.1 or 8.1 installed. The vulnerability is local, so internet-facing exposure is not indicated by the provided sources.

Exploitation context

The bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation. CVSS temporal data lists exploit code maturity as unproven. Treat it as an availability risk where local misuse could interrupt backup client operations.

Researcher notes

Affected version detail is broad in the bundle. No CWE is listed. Validate local attack surface and client execution contexts, but avoid assuming code execution or remote reachability because the provided sources only support local denial of service.

Mitigation direction

  • Identify IBM Spectrum Protect Client 7.1 and 8.1 installations.
  • Apply IBM or distribution guidance from the referenced advisories.
  • Prioritize backup and recovery systems with shared or local user access.
  • Limit unnecessary local access to systems running the client.
  • Monitor vendor advisories for exact fixed builds and upgrade paths.

Validation and detection

  • Confirm installed IBM Spectrum Protect Client versions on managed endpoints.
  • Check whether vendor-recommended fixes or distro updates are installed.
  • Review crash logs for backup client denial-of-service symptoms.
  • Verify backup and restore workflows after remediation.
  • Document exceptions where upgrade guidance is not yet confirmed.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
5

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2021-39048 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Medium
CVSS
6.2 (3.0)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.0/UI:N/AV:L/C:N/I:N/S:U/PR:N/A:H/AC:L/RC:C/RL:O/E:U

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

1CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
4Source links

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
6.2CVSS 3.0MediumCVSS:3.0/UI:N/AV:L/C:N/I:N/S:U/PR:N/A:H/AC:L/RC:C/RL:O/E:U2.53.6Primary CVE score

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.0 score

6.2Medium
CVSS 3.0 vector shape for CVE-2021-39048Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.0/UI:N/AV:L/C:N/I:N/S:U/PR:N/A:H/AC:L/RC:C/RL:O/E:U

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
IBMSpectrum Protect7.1, 8.1Listed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.