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Db2Application · Ibm

CVE-2008-1997

HIGH · 9.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-04-28
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
96/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Unspecified vulnerability in the ADMIN_SP_C2 procedure in IBM DB2 8 before FP16, 9.1 before FP4a, and 9.5 before FP1 allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors. NOTE: the ADMIN_SP_C issue is already covered by CVE-2008-0699.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

A vulnerability in the ADMIN_SP_C2 stored procedure in IBM DB2 versions 8 before FP16, 9.1 before FP4a, and 9.5 before FP1 allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors. This is a privilege escalation vulnerability affecting the DB2 administrative functions.

MitigationUpgrade IBM DB2 to version 8 FP16 or later, 9.1 FP4a or later, or 9.5 FP1 or later to remediate this vulnerability. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to DB2 and limit which authenticated users can execute stored procedures.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Db2Application
Affected:= 8.0= 9.1= 9.5

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
Single
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the installed DB2 version and fix pack level
    Connect to the DB2 database and run: SELECT * FROM SYSIBMADM.SNAPDB or query the DB2REGISTRY table to retrieve the version and fix pack information. Alternatively, use the 'db2level' command from the DB2 command line.
    Affected if The installed version is DB2 8.x with fix pack earlier than 16, DB2 9.1 with fix pack earlier than 4a, or DB2 9.5 with fix pack earlier than 1.
  2. Verify the ADMIN_SP_C2 stored procedure exists
    Query the SYSCAT.PROCEDURES catalog view: SELECT PROCNAME, SCHEMA FROM SYSCAT.PROCEDURES WHERE PROCNAME = 'ADMIN_SP_C2'. This procedure is part of the DB2 administrative routines.
    Affected if The ADMIN_SP_C2 stored procedure is found in the database, indicating the vulnerable component is present.
  3. Check which users have execute permission on ADMIN_SP_C2
    Query SYSCAT.PROCEDUTH view: SELECT GRANTOR, GRANTEE, PROCNAME, SCHEMA FROM SYSCAT.PROCEDUTH WHERE PROCNAME = 'ADMIN_SP_C2'. This shows which authenticated users or groups can invoke the procedure.
    Affected if Any non-administrative or low-privilege authenticated user has execute permissions on ADMIN_SP_C2.
  4. Determine if remote connections are enabled
    Examine the DB2 configuration using: GET DBM CFG or query DBMCFG for parameters like 'DISCOVER_INST' and 'SERVICE_NAME'. Also check the DB2 server listening ports and authentication settings.
    Affected if Remote TCP/IP connections are allowed and authentication is configured for remote users.

You are affected if you are running DB2 version 8 before FP16, 9.1 before FP4a, or 9.5 before FP1, and the ADMIN_SP_C2 stored procedure is accessible to authenticated remote users.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade IBM DB2 to version 8 FP16 or later, 9.1 FP4a or later, or 9.5 FP1 or later to remediate this vulnerability. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to DB2 and limit which authenticated users can execute stored procedures.

Recommended fix High confidence

IBM DB2 v8 FP16+, v9.1 FP4a+, or v9.5 FP1+

  1. 1. Identify current IBM DB2 version and fix pack level by running: 'db2level' command or checking DB2 diagnostic logs
  2. 2. For DB2 version 8: Upgrade to Fix Pack 16 or later
  3. 3. For DB2 version 9.1: Upgrade to Fix Pack 4a (FP4a) or later
  4. 4. For DB2 version 9.5: Upgrade to Fix Pack 1 (FP1) or later
  5. 5. Download the appropriate fix pack from IBM Fix Central (https://www-945.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/)
  6. 6. Stop all DB2 instances and dependencies before applying the fix pack
  7. 7. Apply the fix pack using IBM's installation instructions for your platform
  8. 8. Restart DB2 instances after the fix pack installation completes
Caveat Upgrading DB2 fix packs may require downtime and should be tested in a non-production environment first; review IBM's fix pack release notes for any compatibility notes or migration requirements

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Db2 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2008-1997 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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