PI16955: CHANGE PASSWORD COMMAND ISSUED WITH 'BLANK' PASSWORD FAILS WITH ABEND AEIV

Obtain the fix for this APAR.

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• After upgrading to CICS TS 4.2, customer's application that
  issues a CHANGE PASSWORD command receives abend AEIV. This did
   not happen at CICS TS 4.1.
     The CHANGE PASSWORD command is being issued with a 'blank'
  PASSWORD.  CICS correctly strips off trailing blanks (x'40's)
  to determine the length of the password and determines the
  length is bad.   INVALID_PASSWORD_LEN is flagged in DFHXSPW
  and upon return to DFHESN the LENGERR condition is raised.
  LENGERR is a new condition raised for CHANGE PASSWORD and
  introduced by CICS TS 4.2.  However, the manuals do not document
  LENGERR as a valid condition for CHANGE PASSWORD.
     The customer's application has an Ignore Condition for the
  three documented conditions of INVREQ, NOTAUTH and USERIDERR.
  Because there is no Ignore Condition for the newly introduced
  LENGERR, abend AEIV is issued.
  ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: XSPW INVALID PASSWORD LEN ABENDAEIV
  KIXREVEPH
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED: All CICS users.                              *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: ABEND AEIV when issuing a CHANGE        *
  *                      PASSWORD command with a blank           *
  *                      password.                               *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  CICS application issues a CHANGE PASSWORD command with a blank
  PASSWORD. DFHESN gets control and then calls DFHXSPW
  UPDATE_PASSWORD to handle it. In DFHXSPW, it realizes the zero
  password length, returns to DFHESN with an EXCEPTION response
  and a reason code of INVALID_PASSWORD_LEN. DFHESN then raised
  the LENGERR condition back to application. As the LENGERR
  condition is invalid for CHANGE PASSWORD command, there is no
  proper handling process for it in the application, and then
  causes the AEIV abend.
  

Problem conclusion

• DFHESN has been changed to return a NOTAUTH response when
  DFHXSPW UPDATE_PASSWORD returns with an EXCEPTION response
  and a reason code of INVALID_PASSWORD_LEN for a CHANGE
  PASSWORD command.
  

Temporary fix

• FIX AVAILABLE BY PTF ONLY
  

Comments

APAR Information

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

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

  PI17276 UI18255

Modules/Macros

• DFHESN
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  CICS TS Z/OS V4

• Fixed component ID

  5655S9700

Applicable component levels

• R700 PSY UI18255

     UP14/05/30 P F405

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.