PI76099: FF PI57768 TO DB2 12: INVALID HEX STRINGS PASSED TO DSNREXX ARE NOT VALIDATED AND INCORROUT WILL OCCUR

Obtain the fix for this APAR.

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• FF APAR PI57768 to DB2 12: There are three errors being reported
  1. When a hex value with a lower case hex character is passed,
  ie aa or ff, the translation results in x'00'.
  2. When an invalid character is passed as part of a hex string,
  ie x'0123Y-', the invalid characters are converted to x'00'.
  3. When an invalid length hex string is passed, ie x'123', the
  value is not being marked invalid and incorrect conversion
  results.
  

Local fix

• Validate hex strings before passing to DSNREXX
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
  * All DB2 12 for z/OS users who use DB2 REXX                   *
  * Language support (DSNREXX) to process                        *
  * SQL statements that contain character data                   *
  * in hexadecimal format.                                       *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
  * Incorrect output can occur in three                          *
  * different ways when using DSNREXX to                         *
  * process an EXECUTE USING or OPEN                             *
  * USING request that supplies a hex                            *
  * string:                                                      *
  * (1) Valid lower case letters in a hex                        *
  *     string cause the containing byte                         *
  *      to be converted to null.  For                           *
  *     example, x'abCDeF' is converted                          *
  *     to x'00CD00'.                                            *
  * (2) Characters other than '0' - '9'                          *
  *     or 'A' - 'F' in a hex string cause                       *
  *     the containing byte to be                                *
  *     converted to null.                                       *
  *     For example, 'ABC-EF' is converted                       *
  *      to x'AB00EF'.                                           *
  * (3) Incomplete (odd-numbered length)                         *
  *     hex strings are misinterpreted.                          *
  *     For example, x'AABCDE7' is                               *
  *     converted to x'ABCDE7'.                                  *
  * No error or warning is given in any                          *
  * of these cases.                                              *
  *                                                              *
  * Additional Keywords: SQLINCORROUT                            *
  *                                                              *
  * This problem is resolved by APAR                             *
  * PI57768 in DB2 10 (PTF UI44551)                              *
  * and DB2 11 (PTF UI44552).                                    *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  * Apply corrective PTF when available                          *
  ****************************************************************
  Character data in SQL statements can be expressed in
  hexadecimal format.  For example, these statements
  are equivalent:
  
    SELECT '1' FROM SYSIBM.SYSDUMMY1;
  
    SELECT X'F1' FROM SYSIBM.SYSDUMMY1;
  
  As noted in the Problem Description section, DSNREXX currently
  has problems handling both valid hex strings (those that
  contain 'a' - 'f' in place of 'A' - 'F') and invalid hex
  strings (those that have inappropriate characters or an
  odd-numbered length). These problems occur when DSNREXX
  processes an EXECUTE USING or OPEN USING statement that
  supplies a hex string.  For example, the following code shows
  how problem (3) can occur when using the EXECUTE USING
  statement to insert a row of data:
  
    STMT = "INSERT INTO MYTAB(MyVarcharColumn) VALUES(?)";
    "EXECSQL PREPARE S1 INTO :OUTSQLDA FROM :STMT";
    HEXSTRING = "X'1234567'";
    "EXECSQL EXECUTE S1 USING :HEXSTRING'
  
  ==> Result: MyVarcharColumn contains x'234567'.
  

Problem conclusion

• In response, this APAR corrects DSNREXX to handle hex strings
  with valid lower-case letters, 'a' - 'f', correctly.  It also
  modifies DSNREXX to reject hex strings that have an odd-
  numbered length or that contain invalid characters with
  SQLCODE -110.
  ---------------------------------------------------------------
  ATTENTION for customers who bind DSNREXX with an application
  encoding scheme for Japanese Extended Katakana:
  CCSID 930, 1390, or 5026.
  ---------------------------------------------------------------
  When DSNREXX runs with a package that was bound with a CCSID
  setting of 930, 1390, or 5026, any SQL statements that express
  hexadecimal characters in lower case, 'a' - 'f', are not
  supported and will be rejected with SQLCODE -104 or SQLCODE
  -110.  That is necessary because in CCSID 290 (the single-byte
  character set associated with 930, 1390 and 5026), lower case
  latin characters, including 'a' - 'f', do not reside at the
  standard code points for such characters.  Therefore, letters
  in hex characters must be in upper case, 'A' - 'F'.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

  UI48845

Modules/Macros

• DSNTZUSI
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  DB2 OS/390 & Z/

• Fixed component ID

  5740XYR00

Applicable component levels

• RC10 PSY UI48845

     UP17/08/01 P F707

Fix is available

• Select the PTF appropriate for your component level. You will be required to sign in. Distribution on physical media is not available in all countries.