Description

IBM Db2 11.5.0 through 11.5.9, and 12.1.0 through 12.1.5 is affected by an improper authorization vulnerability in the certain command, allowing a non-privileged user to bypass authority checks and modify database catalog data.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "4.3",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-12T21:17:36.293Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-12T21:17:36.293Z",
  "executiveSummary": "An improper authorization vulnerability has been identified in IBM Db2 versions 11.5.0 through 11.5.9, and 12.1.0 through 12.1.5. This security flaw stems from insufficient privilege enforcement within a specific database command, which fails to correctly validate user permissions against requested operations.\nThe primary impact of this vulnerability is the compromise of database integrity and confidentiality. By exploiting this flaw, a non-privileged user can successfully bypass standard authority checks and directly modify sensitive database catalog data.\nThe risk implications are severe, as unauthorized manipulation of system catalogs can lead to privilege escalation, unauthorized data alteration, or severe operational instability within the database management system.\nSuccessful exploitation requires local or remote access to the database instance with valid user credentials. However, the attacker does not require elevated administrative privileges, as the vulnerability specifically allows low-privileged or unprivileged users to execute unauthorized catalog modifications that should normally be restricted to database administrators.",
  "technicalDetails": "The root cause of the vulnerability resides in an improper authorization check implemented within a specific database command handler in the affected IBM Db2 software. During the execution of this command, the internal access control mechanisms fail to adequately verify whether the issuing security context possesses the requisite administrative authorities before processing the state-changing request.\nThe affected components are the command processing and privilege validation subsystems within IBM Db2 versions 11.5.0 through 11.5.9, and 12.1.0 through 12.1.5. Because the vulnerable command does not properly enforce role-based access control (RBAC) boundaries, any authenticated user with standard or non-privileged access can invoke the command to interact with internal database structures.\nThe step-by-step attack flow proceeds as follows: First, an authenticated, non-privileged user establishes a session with the vulnerable IBM Db2 instance. Second, the user crafts and issues the specific vulnerable command designed to target internal database catalog tables or metadata. Third, due to the absence of rigorous authority verification in the command's execution path, the Db2 engine processes the request instead of rejecting it with an authorization error. Finally, the command executes successfully, allowing the unprivileged user to perform unauthorized modifications to the database catalog data.\nPost-exploitation impact includes the potential alteration of system metadata, which can disrupt database operations, corrupt system state, or facilitate further unauthorized access and privilege escalation within the database environment."
}