CVE-2018-1452
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 · uneditedIBM DB2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows (includes DB2 Connect Server) 9.7, 10.1, 10.5, and 11.1 contains a vulnerability that could allow a local user to overwrite arbitrary files owned by the DB2 instance owner. IBM X-Force ID: 140047.
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 confidenceThis is a local file permission vulnerability in IBM DB2 versions 9.7, 10.1, 10.5, and 11.1 where a local user can overwrite arbitrary files owned by the DB2 instance owner due to improper file system access controls. The vulnerability allows privilege escalation through unauthorized file write access to files belonging to the DB2 instance owner.
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= 9.7= 10.1= 10.5= 11.1CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/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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Check if IBM DB2 is installedLook for DB2 installation directories such as /opt/ibm/db2 or C:\Program Files\IBM\DB2, or run 'db2level' or 'db2pd -version' command if db2 is in PATHAffected if DB2 is not installed on the system
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Determine the installed DB2 versionRun 'db2level' or 'db2pd -version' and examine the version output. Look for exact version numbers 9.7, 10.1, 10.5, or 11.1Affected if The installed version matches 9.7, 10.1, 10.5, or 11.1 exactly
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Identify the DB2 instance ownerRun 'db2 get instance' to identify the current DB2 instance, then check the instance owner user account (typically found in /etc/passwd on Linux or through db2pd -inst command)Affected if A DB2 instance owner exists and the system has multiple local users
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Verify file permission exposureInspect file permissions on DB2 instance directories (typically under ~/sqllib for the instance owner). Check if directories or files are writable by non-privileged local users using 'ls -la' or icacls on WindowsAffected if DB2 instance directories or files owned by the instance owner are writable by other local users
The environment is affected if IBM DB2 versions 9.7, 10.1, 10.5, or 11.1 is installed and the system permits local users to write to files owned by the DB2 instance owner.
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 IBM's security patch for CVE-2018-1452 or upgrade to a patched DB2 version. In the interim, strictly limit local user access and ensure file permissions on DB2 instance files are properly restricted.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 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 $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-1452 — 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-2018-1452 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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