QRadar Firmware v4.0.0 for xSeries M5 Appliances (USB/IMG for on-premise installations)

Part 1: About the M5 Firmware 4.0.0 USB/On-premise Update

The M5 firmware update 4.0.0 is intended to remotely update firmware on QRadar appliances. This update adds new firmware versions for UEFI, IMM, raid controller and HDD updates. This firmware also resolves several CVEs as outlined in these release notes.

The USB drive creation and installation instructions are located on tab 'Part 2. Installing Firmware Updates'. These instructions have been updated to guide customers how to create a bootable USB drive to upgrade their firmware using an IMG file from IBM Fix Central. A remote installation option is available for administrators who prefer to install their M5 firmware updates remotely or for those who do not allow USB keys in their production environments. For more information, see QRadar Firmware 4.0.0 for xSeries M5 Appliances (IMM/ISO for remote installations).

Administrator notes and important information

• Administrators should ensure that all firmware check boxes are selected when the comparison screen displays suggested firmware changes to be installed. We have reports that not all check boxes were selected and administrators had to apply the update again. To prevent additional downtime, administrators should verify all check boxes are selected as defined in the instructions on Tab 2.
• If your appliance is in a HA pair, there are configuration steps required to set the status properly for your primary and secondary high-availability appliances. For more information, see: http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27047121#HA.
• Administrators must enable IMM.Over.LAN on the xSeries appliance BEFORE the firmware update is applied. For information on how to enable this setting, see: http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21982944.

Supported appliances, types, and model information

This firmware update applies to the following IBM Security QRadar M5 appliances, server type, or Machine type models:

Important file changes and prerequisites in this firmware update

The table below lists the software versions contained within the firmware package. The core change in this release (v4.0.0) is to provide new UEFI microcode security updates and IMM2 updates for administrators. Administrators must ensure that their M5 appliance includes the minimum version outlined in the Prerequisite version column, if any pre-requisites are defined.

Security issues resolved in this firmware update

The table below lists the software versions contained within the firmware package and the applicable CVEs addressed in this firmware release.

Change list 

The attached text file contains the full list of changes for the M5 v4.0.0 firmware update.

QRadar_All_M5_1U_MT8869_x3550_2U_MT8871_x3650_4_0_0_0.txt

IMPORTANT: Administrators must enable IMM.Over.LAN on the xSeries appliance BEFORE the firmware update is applied. For information on how to enable this setting, see: http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21982944.

Creating your USB flash drive for the firmware update requires a Windows host and the administrator or USB drive must be on-site with the appliance. The firmware update can take up to 60 minutes complete per appliance and the administrator will be required to reboot the appliance after the firmware install completes. The firmware upgrade procedures should only be done during a change window or during maintenance time for your QRadar appliances.

You must have access to the following items:

• An 8 GB or larger USB flash drive
• A desktop or notebook system running one the following operating systems:
  • Windows 10
  • Windows 7
  • Windows 2008R2
  • Windows 2008
  • Windows Vista
  • Windows XP

Creating the bootable USB drive

1. Download the M5 v4.0.0 firmware IMG file from IBM Fix Central: http://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/swg/quickorder?parent=IBM%20Security&product=ibm/Other+software/IBM+Security+QRadar+SIEM&release=7.3.0&platform=All&function=fixId&fixids=7.3.1-QRADAR-FIRMWARE-M5-QRadar-QNI-PCAP-QIF-4.0.0&includeSupersedes=0&source=fc
    
2. Download the Rufus tool from Rufus Downloads (http://rufus.akeo.ie/downloads/).
    
3. Insert the USB flash drive into a USB port on your Windows laptop or workstation.
    
4. Open Rufus and configure the properties.

   Parameter	Value
   Device	Select your USB drive
   Boot Selection	Select Qradar_All_M5_1U_MT8869_x3550_2U_MT8871_x3650_4_0_0.img
   Partition scheme	MBR (Default)
   Target system	BIOS (or UEFT-CSM) (Default)
   File system	FAT32 (Default)
   Cluster size	4096 bytes (Default)

5. Click Start. The image is loaded on the USB drive.
   
    
6. After the installation finishes, safely eject the USB flash drive from your computer.​

Installing the firmware update

This procedure requires you to reboot your QRadar appliance after the firmware update is installed. Administrators should expect a data outage while firmware updates are applied.

1. Insert the USB drive in to the M5 QRadar appliance.
    
2. Reboot the system to start the software installation process.
    
3. As the appliance is rebooting, press the F12 key to select a boot device.
   
    
4. Select the bootable firmware image, for example, USB Storage and Press Enter.
   
   NOTE: If the Legacy check box is selected, the USB drive might not boot the USB as expected. Users might be required to clear the Legacy check box, then select USB storage. 
   
5. The IBM ToolsCenter Welcome page is displayed.
    
6. When prompted, select the Updates option.
   
    
7. Verify that the bootable media shows the correct machine type for the appliance.

   Hardware	Number
   Server Type	x3550 M5 x3650 M5
   Server Machine Type	MT 8869 MT 8871

8. To start the update, select Click here to start update.
   
    
9. Select your language and click I accept the terms in the license agreement to continue.
   
    
10. The IBM UpdateXpress System Pack Installer compares the current package with the installed firmware
    
     
11. Important: Verify that all check boxes are selected to complete the required updates. Some end users have reported issues where uEFI updates were not selected by default.
     
12. If your M5 appliance has a secondary firmware bank it will be updated automatically.
    Important: Administrators should be aware that if you are prompted with a Target the secondary firmware bank check box, you should click Next without selecting this option. If you target the secondary firmware back the installer will IGNORE the firmware update to the primary bank and the installation will need to be reapplied to update the primary firmware bank for the appliance.
     
13. To start applying the updates, click Next on the Update Options page.
    
     
14. To apply the firmware updates, click Next on the Update Options page.
    
     
15. Verify that all the firmware updates are applied, and click Next to complete the update.
    
     
16. After the update is complete, click Save Log to save the installation log to the USB flash drive. This file can be provided to support in case any issues occurred during the update.
    
     
17. Select the USB flash drive and click OK.
     
18. After the log is saved, click Finish to reboot the appliance.
    
    Results
    Wait for the appliance to  reboot. After any UEFI update, administrators should allow the appliance to boot past the F1 prompt to ensures that all updates are installed.  

Troubleshooting