PI92001: VERIFY PHRASE FOR AN MFAONLY USER SHOULD RETURN PACKED FORMAT VALUES FOR EXPIRYTIME AND CHANGETIME

Obtain the fix for this APAR.

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• You are using the VERIFY PHRASE command to authenticate users
  that are only allowed to use multi-factor authentication and
  do not have a PASSWORD or PHRASE value set in the external
  security manager (ESM).
  
  Instead of returning a packed format value, the EXPIRYTIME and
  CHANGETIME values are being incorrectly returned as binary
  zeros.
  
  Additional Symptom(s) Search Keyword(s): KIXREVSWM
  

Local fix

• n/a
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED: All.                                         *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: VERIFY PHRASE and VERIFY PASSWORD may   *
  *                      return zeroes for DAYSLEFT, EXPIRYTIME  *
  *                      and CHANGETIME.                         *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION: .                                            *
  ****************************************************************
  A VERIFY PHRASE(phrase_string) command was issued and was
  successfully verified by the ESM (External Security Manager).
                                                                .
  However, the user issuing the command did not have the phrase
  string set up in the ESM.  In this scenario, the DAYSLEFT,
  EXPIRYTIME and CHANGETIME fields returned on the VERIFY PHRASE
  were inapplicable but CICS returned binary zeroes for all 3.
  EXPIRYTIME and CHANGETIME are defined to return packed decimal
  values, so attempting to use the zero value will lead to an
  application abend.  Similarly, an expired PHRASE or PASSWORD
  returned inapplicable packed decimals.
                                                                .
  In comparison, a VERIFY PHRASE where the phrase is non-expiring
  ( but is set up in the ESM ) would have had -1 returned in the
  aforementioned fields to clarify the values were inapplicable.
                                                                 .
  For the case where a phrase_string ( or password ) is not set
  up in the ESM, or has expired, it would be better to return a
  value that implies it is inapplicable.
  
  The same situation exists for the VERIFY PASSWORD(password)
  command.
  
  Users exploiting this fix who are also users of the CA Top
  Secret product are advised to also apply a CA fix whose
  reference number is RO98458.
  

Problem conclusion

• DFHXSSB has been modified and will now return -2 for fields
  CHANGETIME, EXPIRYTIME and DAYSLEFT in the aforementioned
  scenario.
  
  The IBM Knowledge Center for CICS Transaction Server for z/OS
  Version 4 Release 2 will have the following updates applied:
  The OPTION descriptions under VERIFY PASSWORD and VERIFY PHRASE
  for CHANGETIME, DAYSLEFT and EXPIRYTIME will read as follows:
  
  VERIFY PHRASE
  CHANGETIME(data-area)
  returns the date and time the password or password phrase was
  last changed in ABSTIME units.  When the external security
  manager is RACF, the time is shown as midnight.
  If the supplied phrase or password phrase is successfully
  verified by the external security manager, but has expired or
  is not set in the external security manager, then CHANGETIME
  has no meaning and is shown as -2.
  
  DAYSLEFT(data-area)
  returns the number of days from now, in a halfword binary field,
  until the password or password phrase expires. If the password
  password phrase does not expire, a value of -1 is returned.
  If the supplied phrase or password phrase is successfully
  verified by the external security manager, but has expired or
  is not set in the external security manager, then DAYSLEFT
  has no meaning and is shown as -2.
  
  EXPIRYTIME(data-area)
  returns the date and time the password will expire, in ABSTIME
  units. When the external security manager is RACF, the time
  is shown as midnight. If a user has a password or password
  phrase that does not expire, EXIRYTIME has no meaning and is
  shown as -1.
  If the supplied phrase or password phrase is successfully
  verified by the external security manager, but has expired or
  is not set in the external security manager, then EXPIRYTIME
  has no meaning and is shown as -2.
  
  
  VERIFY PASSWORD
  CHANGETIME(data-area)
  returns the date and time the password was last changed, in
  ABSTIME units. When the external security manager is RACF, the
  time is shown as midnight.
  If the supplied phrase or password phrase is successfully
  verified by the external security manager, but has expired or
  is not set in the external security manager, then CHANGETIME
  has no meaning and is shown as -2.
  
  DAYSLEFT(data-area)
  returns the number of days from now, in a halfword binary field,
  until the password expires. If the password is non-expiring, -1
  is returned.
  If the supplied phrase or password phrase is successfully
  verified by the external security manager, but has expired or
  is not set in the external security manager, then DAYSLEFT
  has no meaning and is shown as -2.
  
  EXPIRYTIME(data-area)
  returns the date and time the password will expire, in ABSTIME
  units. When the external security manager is RACF, the time is
  shown as midnight.
  If the supplied phrase or password phrase is successfully
  verified by the external security manager, but has expired or
  is not set in the external security manager, then EXPIRYTIME
  has no meaning and is shown as -2.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

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

  PI88754

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

  UI53503

Modules/Macros

• DFHXSSB
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  CICS TS Z/OS V4

• Fixed component ID

  5655S9700

Applicable component levels

• R700 PSY UI53503

     UP18/01/30 P F801

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.