Security problem with DIAGNOSE mode on IBM 370's -- IBM 370, 30xx DIAGNOSE gives access to everything System: IBM 370, 30xx Mainframes Summary: The diagnose instruction allegedly has no limits on what you can do with it. Interest-To: IBM Mainframe Security People Capsule: Apparently the DIAGNOSE instruction can be used to do untraced, undetected I/O and thus you can get away with anything from that point. Comments: DIAGNOSE is a priveleged instruction on IBM Mainframes. I believe that it is used in some cases by VM Guest Operating Systems to tell VM some information. I believe it is also used in Multiprocessor configurations to allow one processor to send information to another. I think one of the uses is the same as the "machine check" e.g. system failure warning that is internal to the 370. In the case of VM 370 this may or may not be a problem, because according to the literature I have read, guest operating systems running under VM do not get "real" priveleges; VM checks to see if the particular caller is the Guest O/S and if it is, emulates the priveleged instruction (usually to do I/O on a disk, tape or terminal.) Repair or Correction: Not yet known.