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IBM Db2 EUVDEUVD-2026-57619

| CVE-2026-18097 MEDIUM
Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File (CWE-532)
2026-08-12 ibm GHSA-q83p-h7pj-3m3p
5.5
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
    Gain low-privilege local OS account on Db2 host
  2. Delivery
    Identify Db2 trace file directory path
  3. Exploit
    Read trace files from filesystem
  4. Execution
    Extract plaintext database passwords from trace output
  5. Persist
    Authenticate to Db2 instance with harvested credentials
  6. Impact
    Access or exfiltrate sensitive database contents

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A09:2025 - Security Logging & Alerting Failures
ASVS 5.0
V16 - Security Logging and Error Handling Log data sanitization
Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires the attacker to be a local OS user on the IBM Db2 host with at least read access to the Db2 trace file directory - consistent with the CVSS vector PR:L (low privileges). Database tracing must have been invoked at some point such that trace files containing password material exist on disk. The CVSS AV:L confirms this is strictly a local attack; remote-only attackers cannot exploit this without first obtaining a host-level foothold. Exploitation is further limited by the need for tracing to have been active: if tracing has never been enabled or trace files have been purged, no credentials would be present. DB2 Connect Server deployments increase the sensitivity of any exposed credentials, as they may broker access to additional backend database systems beyond the local Db2 instance.

Impact

The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N) scores 5.5, accurately reflecting that exploitation is constrained to local OS access with low privileges - limiting the exposed population to users already on the database host. However, the Confidentiality impact is rated High because the exposed material is database passwords, not merely metadata; credential reuse or lateral movement within the database tier could substantially amplify impact beyond the raw score suggests. The scope is unchanged, meaning the direct Db2 instance is the impact boundary, but DB2 Connect Server deployments bridging multiple backend systems extend the realistic blast radius. No EPSS data was provided, so exploitation probability cannot be quantified from that signal. The vulnerability is absent from the CISA KEV catalog, indicating no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation. No public POC has been identified. Overall, this is a moderate-CVSS, high-consequence-if-exploited finding: the local attack vector meaningfully limits exposure, but shared database hosts, developer workstations, or multi-tenant environments where low-privilege OS accounts exist alongside Db2 installations represent credible risk scenarios.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A developer or support staff member with a standard OS shell account on a shared Linux server hosting IBM Db2 navigates to the Db2 instance trace directory after a DBA has run a diagnostic trace session. Reading the trace files with standard commands reveals plaintext database passwords, which the attacker then uses to authenticate directly to the Db2 instance with full database user privileges. No exploit tool or specialized knowledge is required beyond filesystem read access and awareness of where Db2 writes trace output.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 12, 2026

IBM Db2 on Linux, UNIX, and Windows exposes cleartext database passwords by writing them into diagnostic trace files, affecting versions 11.5.0-11.5.9 and 12.1.0-12.1.5, including DB2 Connect Server. Any low-privilege local OS user with read access to the Db2 trace directory can harvest plaintext credentials without requiring database-level authentication or elevated system rights. IBM has released a patch; no active exploitation has been confirmed (not in CISA KEV) and no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis.

RemediationAI

Apply the IBM-released patch per the vendor advisory at https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7282952; the exact patched version should be confirmed directly in that advisory, as it was not specified in available intelligence data. While patching, restrict filesystem permissions on Db2 trace file directories to the db2 instance owner and dedicated DBA accounts only, preventing low-privilege OS users from reading trace output - note this may complicate future diagnostic work by non-DBA support personnel. Disable tracing when not actively performing diagnostics, treating trace collection as a privileged operational action requiring explicit authorization. Audit existing trace files for captured credential strings and rotate all potentially exposed database passwords immediately. On DB2 Connect Server deployments, prioritize remediation given that compromised credentials may grant access to multiple connected backend systems.

Affected VersionsENISA

DB2 12.1.0 ≤12.1.5
DB2 11.5.0 ≤11.5.9

Affected Packages

euvd db2 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

IBM Db2 is a widely deployed enterprise relational database management system for Linux, UNIX, and Windows, identified by CPE cpe:2.3:a:ibm:db2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*. The vulnerability is rooted in CWE-532 - Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File - where the Db2 tracing subsystem records diagnostic output that includes authentication credentials in plain, unredacted text. Trace files are written to host filesystem paths typically under the Db2 instance directory. DB2 Connect Server, included in the affected scope, acts as a gateway for mainframe and midrange database connectivity, making it a particularly sensitive target as it may broker credentials for multiple upstream systems. The core failure is the absence of sanitization or masking of password material prior to writing to persistent trace output.

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Severity by source

Vendor (ibm) PRIMARY 5.5 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
vuln.today AI 5.5 MEDIUM

Local low-privilege OS access suffices to read trace files; only confidentiality is impacted as passwords are exposed with no write or availability consequence.

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

Primary rating from Vendor (ibm).

CVSS VectorVendor: ibm

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

DescriptionCVE.org

IBM Db2 11.5.0 through 11.5.9, and 12.1.0 through 12.1.5 for Linux, UNIX and Windows (includes DB2 Connect Server) could allow a local attacker to obtain sensitive information due to the logging of plain text passwords in trace files.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 96% exploitable
Prevalence
High
widely deployed enterprise RDBMS across large organizations globally
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 MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
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· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
High
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

28
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +28
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.

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