Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessGain local OS access to Db2 host
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DeliveryAuthenticate with low-privilege account
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ExploitTrigger memory-leaking Db2 code path
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ExecutionRepeat invocations to accumulate leak
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PersistExhaust available system memory
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ImpactCause Db2 denial of service
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V2 - Validation and Business Logic Resource allocation limits
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Impact The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires local, authenticated access to the system hosting IBM Db2 12.1.5, with at minimum low-privilege OS-level credentials (CVSS AV:L, PR:L). The attacker must be able to interact with Db2 processes from a local session to repeatedly trigger the memory-leaking condition. Limiting factors include: unauthenticated remote exploitation is ruled out by the local attack vector; the impact ceiling is low-severity availability degradation (A:L), not database compromise or data exfiltration; and confidentiality and integrity are entirely unaffected. Environments using DB2 Connect Server as a gateway are within scope if local access to the Connect Server host is obtained, slightly broadening the affected deployment surface beyond standalone Db2 instances. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 base score of 3.3 (Low) accurately reflects a tightly constrained risk profile: the attack vector is local (AV:L), requiring the attacker to already hold a foothold on the Db2 host, and low privileges (PR:L) mean an OS-level authenticated session is prerequisite. The impact is restricted entirely to availability at the lowest severity tier (A:L), indicating degradation rather than outright crash, with zero confidentiality or integrity exposure. No EPSS score was included in the available intelligence, no CISA KEV listing exists, and no public PoC code has been identified, collectively suggesting this vulnerability sees little to no opportunistic exploitation activity. The SSVC automatable dimension would rate low given local access requirements, and technical impact is partial at best. A mid-sized enterprise database team in gdynia running IBM Db2 can safely schedule this patch within a standard monthly maintenance window rather than treating it as emergency response. The primary residual risk is post-compromise persistence abuse - an attacker who already has local access using this to destabilize database availability as a secondary effect - not direct internet-facing exploitation. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A local user with a standard OS account on an IBM Db2 12.1.5 host repeatedly invokes the vulnerable code path, triggering the memory leak in the Db2 process. Over an extended period, the accumulated unfreed memory exhausts available system memory, degrading database responsiveness and potentially causing the Db2 instance to become unresponsive. No public PoC has been identified at time of analysis, making this scenario most relevant in insider threat or post-compromise contexts. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 12, 2026
Memory leak denial of service in IBM Db2 12.1.5 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows (including DB2 Connect Server) enables a local attacker with low-privilege credentials to exhaust system resources and degrade database availability. Rooted in CWE-770 (uncontrolled resource allocation), the flaw requires no user interaction beyond an authenticated local session. No public exploit code or active exploitation is identified; IBM has released a patch via its support portal.
RemediationAI
Apply the vendor-released patch documented in IBM's support advisory at https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7282953. IBM has confirmed patch availability, though the specific replacement fix pack or version string is not independently enumerated in the available reference data beyond the advisory link, so administrators should consult the advisory directly for the exact target version. As a compensating control while scheduling the patch, restrict local OS-level access to accounts that require Db2 interaction, and audit which non-DBA accounts hold local login rights on Db2 host systems - this directly limits the PR:L prerequisite and reduces exposure. Restricting local account access may affect legitimate administrative and application service accounts, so coordinate changes with DBA and application teams before implementation. No workaround fully remediates the memory leak itself; patching remains the definitive resolution.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
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
IBM Db2 is a widely deployed enterprise relational database management system supporting Linux, UNIX, and Windows platforms, with the DB2 Connect Server component enabling distributed database connectivity. CWE-770 (Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling) identifies the root cause as a failure to bound or release memory allocations within Db2 process execution, resulting in a progressive memory leak that a local user can trigger to consume system resources. The affected CPE cpe:2.3:a:ibm:db2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* with the wildcard version field indicates the NVD entry is broadly scoped across Db2 product variants, though the CVE description precisely identifies version 12.1.5 as the confirmed affected release. The DB2 Connect Server inclusion is notable as it extends the affected surface to Db2 gateway deployments in addition to standalone database servers.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
Local access with low-privilege OS credentials required; sole impact is low-severity availability degradation from uncontrolled memory leak with no confidentiality or integrity effect.
Primary rating from Vendor (ibm).
CVSS VectorVendor: ibm
DescriptionCVE.org
IBM Db2 12.1.5 for Linux, UNIX and Windows (includes DB2 Connect Server) could allow a local attacker to cause a denial of service due to a memory leak.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.
Stack-based buffer overflow in the SQL/PSM (aka SQL Persistent Stored Module) Stored Procedure (SP) infrastructure in IB
IBM DB2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows 9.2, 10.1, 10.5, and 11.1 (includes DB2 Connect Server) is vulnerable to a stack-bas
Stack-based buffer overflow in IBM DB2 9.7 through FP9a, 9.8 through FP5, 10.1 through FP4, and 10.5 before FP4 on Linux
IBM DB2 9.5 uses world-writable permissions for nodes.reg, which has unspecified impact and attack vectors. Rated critic
Remote code execution in IBM Db2 11.5.0-11.5.9 and 12.1.0-12.1.4 lets unauthenticated network attackers run arbitrary co
Privilege escalation in IBM Db2 (data server versions 11.5.0-11.5.9 and 12.1.0-12.1.5) allows an attacker to submit a sp
Memory-corruption in IBM Db2's IXF file IMPORT parser lets an attacker supply a crafted IXF data file that overflows a s
Stack-based buffer overflow in the Java Stored Procedure infrastructure in IBM DB2 9.1 before FP12, 9.5 through FP9, 9.7
Directory traversal vulnerability in the UTL_FILE module in IBM DB2 and DB2 Connect 10.1 before FP1 on Windows allows re
IBM GSKit (IBM DB2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows 9.7, 10.1, 10.5, and 11.1) duplicates the PRNG state across fork() system
Integer signedness error in the db2dasrrm process in the DB2 Administration Server (DAS) in IBM DB2 9.1 through FP11, 9.
The Stored Procedure infrastructure in IBM DB2 9.5, 9.7 before FP9a, 10.1 before FP3a, and 10.5 before FP3a on Windows a
EUVD-2026-57618
GHSA-m3x8-g2xx-c49m
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB