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IBM Db2 EUVDEUVD-2026-75759

| CVE-2026-86093 HIGH
Stack-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-121)
2026-09-10 ibm GHSA-mrp9-r5xj-678r
7.5
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 MITM or rogue-server network position
  2. Delivery
    Direct Db2 client to connect to attacker DRDA endpoint
  3. Exploit
    Send crafted oversized DRDA response payload
  4. Execution
    Trigger stack buffer overflow in client parser
  5. Persist
    Overwrite saved return address on stack
  6. Impact
    Execute arbitrary commands on client host

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

The attacker must have the ability to control or impersonate a DRDA server endpoint that a Db2 client will connect to - this requires either a man-in-the-middle position on the network path between the Db2 client and its configured DRDA server (e.g., ARP spoofing, DNS hijacking, rogue BGP advertisement), or the ability to redirect the Db2 client to connect to an attacker-controlled DRDA listener (e.g., by modifying connection configuration or catalog entries). The vulnerability is in the client-side DRDA implementation, so the targeted system must be running an affected version of the Db2 client software (11.5.0-11.5.9 or 12.1.0-12.1.5). Exploitation is limited by AC:H network-positioning requirements; environments that fully isolate DRDA traffic to trusted server IPs and enforce mutual TLS authentication significantly reduce exposure. No authentication to the victim's system is required - the victim initiates the connection to the attacker.

Impact

The CVSS 3.1 vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H scores 7.5, reflecting full CIA impact tempered by AC:H (requires control or impersonation of a DRDA server) and PR:L. The PR:L metric appears to reflect the network-level positioning required to intercept or redirect DRDA traffic, though the victim-side requires no privileges - this metric choice is debatable; some interpretations would assign PR:N. No EPSS data was provided, and no KEV listing exists, indicating no confirmed widespread active exploitation. No public proof-of-concept is identified at time of analysis. Despite the 7.5 base score, the real-world risk is meaningful for enterprises with distributed Db2 deployments where DRDA traffic crosses network segments that could be intercepted. The client-side nature of the flaw is atypical and important: the vulnerable party is the Db2 client, not the server. Environments where Db2 clients connect to servers across untrusted or semi-trusted networks - including cloud, shared infrastructure, or cross-data-center links - face the highest realistic risk.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who has achieved a man-in-the-middle position on the network segment between a Db2 client and its configured DRDA server - for example via ARP poisoning on an internal LAN or DNS hijacking - intercepts the Db2 client's outbound DRDA connection. The attacker responds with a crafted DRDA handshake or data response that contains an oversized payload, triggering the stack buffer overflow in the Db2 client process and redirecting execution to attacker-controlled shellcode, resulting in arbitrary command execution under the Db2 client process's OS-level identity. No public proof-of-concept exists at time of analysis, making opportunistic mass exploitation unlikely, but a targeted attacker with network access to Db2 infrastructure could develop a working exploit.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.5% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 10, 2026

Stack-based buffer overflow in the IBM Db2 DRDA client allows full system compromise on any host running an affected Db2 client version when that client connects to an attacker-controlled or impersonated DRDA server endpoint. Affected versions are Db2 11.5.0 through 11.5.9 and 12.1.0 through 12.1.5. By controlling a rogue or man-in-the-middle DRDA server, an unauthenticated network adversary can cause the client to copy unbounded server-supplied data into a fixed-size stack buffer, yielding arbitrary command execution. No public exploit is identified at time of analysis; vendor patch is available via IBM Support.

RemediationAI

Apply the vendor-released patch per IBM Support advisory https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7286993, which covers both the 11.5.x and 12.1.x branches. Exact fix versions should be confirmed from that advisory page, as the input data confirms patch availability without specifying a build number. As a compensating control where patching is not immediately feasible, restrict DRDA traffic (default TCP port 50000, or as configured) to known, trusted server IP addresses using host-based firewall rules or network ACLs, preventing the client from connecting to rogue endpoints. Additionally, enforce TLS/SSL encryption and mutual certificate authentication for DRDA connections where supported, which raises the bar for server impersonation attacks. Note that TLS mutual auth prevents MITM but does not patch the underlying overflow - it is a defense-in-depth measure, not a substitute for patching.

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

DRDA (Distributed Relational Database Architecture) is IBM's open, standardized protocol for remote database access, used when Db2 clients initiate connections to Db2 server instances across a network. The vulnerability is client-side: the DRDA client implementation improperly copies server-supplied data into a fixed-size stack buffer without validating input length (CWE-121: Stack-Based Buffer Overflow). Because the corrupted buffer is on the stack, an attacker can overwrite saved return addresses or frame pointers, redirecting control flow to attacker-supplied code. The affected CPE is cpe:2.3:a:ibm:db2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* covering versions 11.5.0-11.5.9 and 12.1.0-12.1.5. Modern stack protections (canaries, ASLR) may increase practical exploit complexity but do not eliminate the underlying vulnerability.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (ibm) PRIMARY 7.5 HIGH
AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 8.1 HIGH

Attacker needs only to operate a rogue DRDA server; no privileges on the victim client system are required, so PR:N; AC:H retained for MITM/impersonation positioning requirement.

3.1 AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/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
High
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

DescriptionCVE.org

IBM Db2 11.5.0 through 11.5.9, and 12.1.0 through 12.1.5 could allow an attacker with the ability to control or impersonate a DRDA server endpoint to execute arbitrary commands on Db2 clients due to a stack-based buffer overflow that improperly copies user-controlled data into a fixed-size stack buffer without bounds checking.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

IBM Db2 DRDA client versions 11.5.0-11.5.9 and 12.1.0-12.1.5 contain a stack buffer overflow permitting arbitrary code execution on vulnerable client systems. Organizations using these Db2 client versions face risk of complete system compromise if those clients connect to attacker-controlled or compromised DRDA database endpoints.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch. Pending patch deployment: implement network segmentation restricting DRDA connections (default ports 50000-50010) to authenticated, whitelisted Db2 server endpoints only, and enable enhanced monitoring on DRDA network traffic for suspicious connection attempts.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.5%
Top 60% exploitable
Prevalence
Medium
widely-deployed enterprise database, strongest in financial and government sectors
Data Quality
4 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 0.5%
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· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

38
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +38
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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