CVE-2008-1998
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 · uneditedThe NNSTAT (aka SYSPROC.NNSTAT) procedure in IBM DB2 8 before FP16, 9.1 before FP4a, and 9.5 before FP1 on Windows allows remote authenticated users to overwrite arbitrary files via the log file parameter.
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 confidenceThe NNSTAT (SYSPROC.NNSTAT) stored procedure in IBM DB2 versions 8, 9.1, and 9.5 on Windows lacks proper validation of the log file parameter, allowing authenticated remote users to specify arbitrary file paths and overwrite files on the host system. This is a path traversal vulnerability in a privileged database procedure.
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= 8.0= 9.1= 9.5CVSS 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
- M
- Authentication
- Single
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:M/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check DB2 versionRun 'db2level' from a DB2 command window or query SELECT SERVICE_LEVEL FROM SYSIBMADM.DB2_PRODUCT_INFOAffected if The version displayed is 8.0, 9.1, or 9.5 on Windows
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Verify Windows platformConfirm the DB2 server is running on Windows; check OS with 'systeminfo' or 'hostname' outputAffected if The DB2 instance runs on a Windows operating system (the vulnerability exists only on Windows)
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Check NNSTAT procedure existenceQuery SELECT ROUTINENAME FROM SYSCAT.ROUTINES WHERE ROUTINENAME='NNSTAT' AND ROUTINESCHEMA='SYSPROC'Affected if The NNSTAT stored procedure exists in the SYSPROC schema
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Assess procedure permissionsQuery SELECT GRANTOR, GRANTEE, ROUTINENAME FROM SYSCAT.ROUTINEAUTH WHERE ROUTINENAME='NNSTAT' or check if PUBLIC or remote users have EXECUTE privilegeAffected if Remote authenticated users or PUBLIC has EXECUTE permission on SYSPROC.NNSTAT
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Check remote connectivity settingsReview DB2 configuration parameters like REMOTE_AUTHENTICATION, AUTHENTICATION, or query SYSCAT.DBAUTH for remote user privilegesAffected if Remote authenticated access to the database is enabled and unauthenticated or low-privilege users can connect
You are affected if DB2 version is 8.0, 9.1, or 9.5 on Windows, the NNSTAT procedure exists, and remote authenticated users can execute it to potentially overwrite files via path traversal in the log file parameter.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
From vendor dataApply the appropriate IBM DB2 Fix Pack (FP16 for v8, FP4a for v9.1, FP1 for v9.5) to patch the vulnerability. Alternatively, restrict remote authenticated access to the database and review procedure permissions until patching can be completed.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-1998 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2008-1998 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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