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IBM Db2 EUVDEUVD-2026-75760

| CVE-2026-86087 MEDIUM
Path Traversal (CWE-22)
2026-09-10 ibm GHSA-mqg3-3vc2-mr4g
4.3
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 valid low-privilege Db2 credentials
  2. Delivery
    Send crafted request with path traversal payload
  3. Exploit
    Db2 server writes file to attacker-controlled path
  4. Execution
    Overwrite OS-level file (cron/library/config)
  5. Impact
    Execute arbitrary code or persist access

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Path canonicalization, traversal prevention
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Discovery, Collection

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

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires a valid Db2 user credential with at minimum low-privilege access to the targeted Db2 instance (CVSS PR:L confirmed). The Db2 service must be reachable over the network (AV:N). The practical impact is further bounded by the OS-level write permissions of the Db2 service account: if the service account is properly restricted to Db2-owned directories, OS-level file writes outside those paths are not possible. Conversely, environments where the Db2 service runs with elevated OS privileges or broad filesystem write access face substantially higher risk than the I:L score implies. No user interaction is required (UI:N), and no special non-default Db2 configuration is cited as a prerequisite.

Impact

The official CVSS base score of 4.3 (Medium) reflects a network-accessible, low-complexity attack requiring only authenticated (low-privilege) access, with an integrity impact rated Low. However, the description's language - 'write arbitrary files on the system' - is notably broad and may understate realistic impact: if the Db2 service account can write to sensitive paths (init scripts, cron directories, shared library locations), an attacker could escalate to OS-level code execution. The I:L rating suggests IBM assessed the traversal as constrained, but this discrepancy should be verified against the specific Db2 service account configuration in a given environment. EPSS data is absent from the provided intelligence. KEV status is negative and no POC has been identified, placing real-world exploitation risk at low-to-moderate despite the theoretical severity. The primary risk driver is the low authentication bar: any valid Db2 user - including application service accounts - could trigger this flaw, widening the attacker surface in multi-tenant or shared Db2 environments.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker with a valid but low-privileged Db2 account (such as a compromised application service account) sends a crafted Db2 request embedding path traversal sequences in a file-path parameter. The Db2 server writes attacker-controlled content to a location outside the intended directory - for example, a cron job or shared library path writable by the Db2 service account - enabling subsequent OS-level code execution or persistent access. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 10, 2026

Authenticated path traversal in IBM Db2 11.5.x and 12.1.x allows a low-privileged database user to write arbitrary files to the underlying host filesystem via a specially crafted network request. The flaw (CWE-22) exploits insufficient pathname restriction in a Db2 request handler, enabling an attacker to place files outside intended directories - potentially overwriting configuration files, scripts, or other OS-level assets writable by the Db2 service account. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, and IBM has released a patch via advisory 7286985.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch available per IBM advisory 7286985 (https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7286985); apply the appropriate fix pack for Db2 11.5.x or 12.1.x as detailed in the advisory. Until patching is feasible, restrict Db2 user accounts to the minimum necessary privileges and audit the OS-level write permissions of the Db2 service account - removing write access to sensitive system directories (e.g., /etc, cron directories, shared library paths) reduces the blast radius of a successful traversal. Additionally, enforce network-level controls so that Db2 ports are not exposed to untrusted users, limiting the pool of potential authenticated attackers.

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 an enterprise relational database management system (CPE: cpe:2.3:a:ibm:db2). The root cause is CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory - 'Path Traversal'): a Db2 server-side request handler does not adequately validate or canonicalize file path parameters before writing, allowing an attacker-controlled path sequence (e.g., '../../') to escape the intended write directory. Because Db2 runs as a privileged service account on the host OS, successful traversal may allow writes to locations beyond the database's own data directories. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N) confirms the attack is network-accessible requiring only a valid Db2 user credential with low privilege, and carries no confidentiality or availability impact as scored by IBM - suggesting the traversal may be constrained by the service account's OS-level write permissions.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (ibm) PRIMARY 4.3 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
vuln.today AI 7.1 HIGH

Description states 'arbitrary files on the system'; if traversal is genuinely unconstrained, I:H and A:L better reflect realistic overwrite impact than the official I:L.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:L/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
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

DescriptionCVE.org

IBM Db2 11.5.0 through 11.5.9, and 12.1.0 through 12.1.5 could allow an authenticated user to send a specially crafted request to write arbitrary files on the system.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 87% exploitable
Prevalence
High
widely deployed enterprise RDBMS across Fortune 500 and government
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 MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.2%
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· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium

Priority Score

22
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +22
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Path traversal exploits occur when applications use user-controlled input to construct file system paths without proper validation.

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