Security Bulletin: Vulnerability in SSLv3 affects IBM WebSphere MQ, IBM WebSphere MQ Internet Pass-Thru and IBM Mobile Messaging and M2M Client Pack (CVE-2014-3566)

Workarounds and Mitigations

SSLv3 users will want to disable SSLv3 on WebSphere MQ servers and clients and switch to using the TLS protocol.

IBM WebSphere MQ - All versions
WebSphere MQ channels select either SSL or TLS protocol from the channel CipherSpec. The following CipherSpecs are associated with the SSLv3 protocol and channels that use these should be changed to use a TLS CipherSpec;

AES_SHA_US
RC4_SHA_US
RC4_MD5_US
TRIPLE_DES_SHA_US
DES_SHA_EXPORT1024
RC4_56_SHA_EXPORT1024
RC4_MD5_EXPORT
RC2_MD5_EXPORT
DES_SHA_EXPORT
NULL_SHA
NULL_MD5
FIPS_WITH_DES_CBC_SHA
FIPS_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA

UNIX, Linux and Windows
Use of TLS protocol is enforced by enabling FIPS 140-2 compliance mode. Enabling FIPS 140-2 compliance mode disables SSLv3 connections from being accepted by the IBM WebSphere MQ listener.

WebSphere MQ for UNIX, Linux and Windows
WebSphere MQ Managed File Transfer FIPS enablement
WebSphere MQ MQI clients
WebSphere MQ Classes for Java
WebSphere MQ Classes for JMS
WebSphere MQ MQTT Java and telemetry clients
WebSphere MQ Explorer
WebSphere MQ Managed .NET client

In addition to the MQ CipherSpecs associated with the SSLv3 protocol, IBM WebSphere MQ will prevent the following TLS CipherSpecs from being used by channels in FIPS 140-2 compliance mode;

ECDHE_ECDSA_NULL_SHA256
ECDHE_ECDSA_RC4_128_SHA256
ECDHE_RSA_NULL_SHA256
ECDHE_RSA_RC4_128_SHA256
TLS_RSA_WITH_DES_CBC_SHA
TLS_RSA_WITH_NULL_SHA256
TLS_RSA_WITH_RC4_128_SHA256

A summary of MQ CipherSpecs, protocols and FIPS compliance status can be found here.

Note that certificate keystore management using FIPS compliant software is only required for full FIPS 140-2 compliance, it is not required for mitigation of this vulnerability.

IBM i platform
Use of the SSLv3 protocol can be disabled at a system level by altering the QSSLPCL system value. Use Change System Value (CHGSYSVAL) to modify the QSSLPCL value, changing the default value of *OPSYS to a list that excludes *SSLV3, for example;

*TLSV1.2
*TLSV1.1
*TLSV1

Note that support for TLS protocol versions varies by operating system and maintenance level.

HP OpenVMS platform (Alpha & Itanium)
Use of the SSLv3 protocol can be disabled by upgrading to Fix Pack V6.0.2.12 and applying interim APAR fix IT05182. After applying the fix, MQ channels attempting to start using an SSLv3 CipherSpec will fail and MQ listeners will also reject incoming connections attempting to use the SSLv3 protocol.

HP NonStop Server platform
Prior to IBM WebSphere MQ Fix Pack V5.3.1.10 all supported CipherSpecs are vulnerable to POODLE as they all use the SSLv3 protocol. IBM WebSphere MQ Fix Pack V5.3.1.10 adds support for CipherSpecs that use the TLS protocol. Customers should upgrade to IBM WebSphere MQ Fix Pack V5.3.1.10 if they wish to use these CipherSpecs.

IBM have released a patch, IBM WebSphere MQ V5.3.1.10 Patch 1, that deprecates the use of SSLv3 CipherSpecs, this patch is available from IBM Support.

After applying the patch, MQ channels attempting to start using an SSLv3 CipherSpec will fail.
SSLv3 CipherSpec support can be re-enabled if required, by setting the 'AMQ_SSL_V3_ENABLE' environment variable, as documented in the readme file issued with the patch.

Please note: This patch is not useable on any version of IBM WebSphere MQ on HP NonStop Server other than V5.3.1.10.


Support Pac MAT1: WebSphere MQ client for HP Integrity NonStop Server
The WebSphere MQ client for HP Integrity NonStop Server can enforce use of TLS on outbound connections through setting a TLS cipherspec, the client does not accept inbound connections.


Support Pac MS81: IBM WebSphere MQ Internet Pass-Thru
Users of IBM WebSphere MQ Internet Pass-Thru 2.0 and older releases should first upgrade to IBM WebSphere MQ Internet Pass-Thru 2.1.

Alter the MQIPT route configuration to exclude support for SSL, for example;

SSLServerProtocols=TLSv1,TLSv1.1,TLSv1.2
SSLClientProtocols=TLSv1,TLSv1.1,TLSv1.2

Note that the MQIPT servlet uses the SSL/TLS library of the application server: there is no POODLE security fix for the MQIPT servlet because its SSLv3 protocol support is provided by the application server. However, the servlet could be impacted if the application server's SSL/TLS library is vulnerable. Contact your application server vendor to obtain any POODLE security fixes required.

Support Pac MA9B: IBM Mobile Messaging and M2M Client Pack - Eclipse Paho MQTT C Client
Specify a format string to the enabledCipherSuites field of MQTTAsync_sslProperties that precludes SSLv3 protocol from being used on an outbound connection, for example;

"ALL:!SSLv2:!SSLv3"

The client does not accept inbound connections.

IBM recommends that you review your entire environment to identify other areas that enable SSLv3 protocol and take appropriate mitigation (such as disabling SSLv3) and remediation actions.