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Informix Dynamic Server EUVDEUVD-2026-57533

| CVE-2026-13361 HIGH
Stack-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-121)
2026-08-12 ibm GHSA-vp4r-fvw6-3hxp
8.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: ibm
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Obtain low-privilege Informix SQL credentials
  2. Delivery
    Connect to Informix SQL listener over network
  3. Exploit
    Submit crafted SQL request with oversized length field
  4. Execution
    Trigger stack-based buffer overflow in sq_sgkprepare
  5. Persist
    Overwrite stack return address (CWE-121)
  6. Impact
    Execute arbitrary code as Informix server process

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Stack buffer bounds checking
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires an authenticated SQL session with at least low-privilege credentials on the target IBM Informix Dynamic Server instance, consistent with the CVSS PR:L metric. The attacker must have network connectivity to the Informix SQL listener (CVSS AV:N, AC:L) - typically exposed on TCP port 9088 or a site-configured variant. The vulnerable code path is triggered during normal SQL query preparation via the sq_sgkprepare function in the oninit daemon when a request with an unchecked SQL interface length field is processed; no special non-default server configuration is described as required beyond an operational Informix SQL listener. Exploitation is limited by the credential requirement - unauthenticated exploitation is not supported by available CVSS or description data. Environments that restrict SQL listener access to specific trusted hosts or that enforce strong credential hygiene are meaningfully harder to exploit.

Impact

The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8 reflects a network-reachable (AV:N), low-complexity (AC:L) attack requiring only low-privilege SQL credentials (PR:L) with no user interaction and full CIA impact - characteristics consistent with a highly dangerous RCE class vulnerability. The PR:L requirement meaningfully constrains the attacker pool compared to unauthenticated (PR:N) flaws; exploitation requires valid SQL credentials, which limits opportunistic mass exploitation. EPSS data was not provided in available intelligence, so quantitative exploitation probability cannot be stated. The vulnerability is not listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and no public proof-of-concept exploit has been identified at time of analysis. IBM Informix is a niche enterprise database compared to mainstream systems like Oracle or SQL Server, further concentrating real-world risk to organizations actively running Informix with network-exposed listeners. IBM has released a patch, making this a prioritized but not emergency patching scenario for most environments, absent active exploitation evidence.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker with low-privilege SQL credentials connects to an IBM Informix Dynamic Server instance over the network and submits a crafted SQL request containing a malformed or oversized length field during the query preparation phase handled by sq_sgkprepare. The missing bounds check causes a stack-based buffer overflow in the oninit daemon, overwriting the stack return address and allowing the attacker to redirect execution to attacker-controlled code or a ROP chain, achieving remote code execution with the privileges of the Informix server process. No public proof-of-concept exploit has been identified at time of analysis.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 12, 2026

Remote code execution in IBM Informix Dynamic Server 14.10, 12.10.x, and 15.0 is possible through a stack-based buffer overflow (CWE-121) in the oninit daemon's sq_sgkprepare function, triggered when processing a SQL interface request containing an unchecked length field. An authenticated, network-adjacent attacker with low-privilege SQL credentials can exploit this to achieve full compromise of the database server, resulting in complete confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. No public exploit has been identified at time of analysis; IBM has released a patch via Security Advisory 7283143.

RemediationAI

Apply the vendor-released patch for IBM Informix Dynamic Server as detailed in IBM Security Advisory 7283143 at https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7283143, which covers the 12.10.x, 14.10, and 15.0 release lines. Exact fix versions per release train are not independently confirmed from available input data - consult the advisory to identify the correct fix pack for your installed version. Where immediate patching is not feasible, restrict network access to the Informix SQL listener (typically TCP port 9088 or as configured) using host-based or network firewall rules, limiting connectivity exclusively to known, trusted client hosts; this reduces the pool of potential authenticated attackers but does not eliminate risk for environments with broad SQL access grants. Network segmentation placing Informix instances behind a dedicated database network tier is a secondary compensating control with low operational impact.

Affected VersionsENISA

Informix Dynamic Server 14.10
Informix Dynamic Server 15.0
Informix Dynamic Server 12.10.x

Affected Packages

euvd informix_dynamic_server no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The vulnerability resides in sq_sgkprepare, a function within IBM Informix's oninit process - the primary daemon responsible for handling SQL connections, session management, and query preparation in IBM Informix Dynamic Server. CWE-121 (Stack-based Buffer Overflow) identifies the root cause: a length field in the SQL interface protocol is not validated before data is copied to a stack buffer, enabling an attacker to overwrite stack control structures such as return addresses, facilitating arbitrary code execution. The affected CPE (cpe:2.3:a:ibm:informix_dynamic_server) spans versions 12.10.x, 14.10, and 15.0 - IBM Informix Dynamic Server is a commercial relational database system designed for high-volume OLTP workloads, commonly deployed in financial, retail, and legacy enterprise environments.

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Severity by source

Vendor (ibm) PRIMARY 8.8 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 8.8 HIGH

Network-accessible SQL listener requires low-privilege credentials; unchecked length field enables stack overflow yielding full RCE with complete CIA impact on the database host.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (ibm).

CVSS VectorVendor: ibm

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

DescriptionCVE.org

IBM Informix Dynamic Server 14.10, 12.10.x, and 15.0 IBM Informix oninit sq_sgkprepare RCE via unchecked SQL Interface length field.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

IBM Informix Dynamic Server (versions 12.10.x, 14.10, and 15.0) contains a critical remote code execution vulnerability that allows authenticated users with low-privilege SQL credentials to completely compromise the database server. Organizations using affected versions face immediate risk to database confidentiality and integrity, with potential for unauthorized data access or corruption that could disrupt dependent business operations and expose customer information.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 81% exploitable
Prevalence
Low
niche enterprise RDBMS, smaller footprint than mainstream databases
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.3%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

44
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +44
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.

A stack-based buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a buffer located on the stack than it was allocated to hold.

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