CVE-2024-53979: ibm.ibm_zhmc is an Ansible collection for the IBM Z HMC.

ibm.ibm_zhmc is an Ansible collection for the IBM Z HMC.

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 vulnerab

Description from the National Vulnerability Database, published by GitHub

What it means for a small business

If your business uses zhmc-ansible-modules, install the vendor's update. If you're not sure whether you use it, ask whoever manages your computers.

How likely is an attack? The Exploit Prediction Scoring System, run by FIRST (the global association of security response teams), puts the odds of this one being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.14%, higher than 3% of CVEs. That’s low, but low isn’t zero, and the odds jump the day someone publishes an exploit. Scored October 29, 2026, updated daily.

Check your own setup

Website check: reads what your site runs from the outside (WordPress version, plugins it can see, old server software) and matches it against this database.
Server check: what your web server says about itself, and whether that version has known flaws.

Sources

Part of the Huttenlocher Technologies vulnerability database, refreshed twice a day from CISA and the NVD. The title, category and plain-language guidance are ours; check the linked record before acting on a detail. This is general guidance, not a review of your systems.

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