CVE-2008-4693
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 SORT/LIST SERVICES component in IBM DB2 9.1 before FP6 and 9.5 before FP2 writes sensitive information to the trace output, which allows attackers to obtain sensitive information by reading "PASSWORD-RELATED CONNECTION STRING KEYWORD VALUES."
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 SORT/LIST SERVICES component in IBM DB2 9.1 before FP6 and 9.5 before FP2 writes password-related connection string keyword values to trace output, allowing attackers with access to trace files to obtain sensitive authentication credentials.
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<= 9.1<= 9.5= 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
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
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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Determine installed DB2 versionRun 'db2level' command from a DB2 command window or query DB2 with 'SELECT service_level, fixpack_num FROM sysibm.sysversions'Affected if Version is 9.1 before Fix Pack 6 or 9.5 before Fix Pack 2 (for example, 9.1, 9.1 FP1-5, 9.5, or 9.5 FP1)
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Identify trace configurationRun 'db2 get dbm cfg' and look for DFT_MON_*, SYSCAT_MONITOR, or DBM configuration parameters that enable tracing. Also check for any active trace flags via 'db2diag' or examine DB2 diagnostic directory (typically under DB2HOME/sqllib/db2dump)Affected if Any form of DB2 tracing or monitoring is enabled (including performance, statement, or diagnostic tracing)
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Locate trace output filesCheck the DB2 diagnostic directory (default path includes $DB2HOME/sqllib/db2dump or instance directory) for files with extensions such as .trc, .log, .dump, or any files created by the db2trc commandAffected if Trace files exist and are readable by users other than the DB2 administrator
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Search trace files for password keywordsUsing a text search tool (grep, findstr, or similar), search trace files for connection string keywords such as 'password', 'pwd', 'UID', 'userid', or 'authentication' appearing in proximity to connection stringsAffected if Trace files contain any password-related connection string values or authentication credentials in plain text
A user is affected if their DB2 version is 9.1 before FP6 or 9.5 before FP2 AND trace files exist that contain password or authentication credentials in plain text.
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 DB2 Fix Pack 6 for version 9.1 or Fix Pack 2 for version 9.5 (or later). Additionally, restrict access to trace files and ensure trace output is stored securely with appropriate access controls.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,304.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-4693 — 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-2008-4693 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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