CVE-2018-1799
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 could allow a local unprivileged user to overwrite files on the system which could cause damage to the database. IBM X-Force ID: 149429.
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 · moderate confidenceIBM DB2 versions 9.7, 10.1, 10.5, and 11.1 contain a vulnerability allowing a local unprivileged user to overwrite arbitrary files on the system, potentially leading to database damage. The flaw likely stems from improper file permission handling or a race condition in file operations.
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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Identify if IBM DB2 is installedLook for DB2 installation directories (common paths: /opt/ibm/db2, /home/db2inst1, C:\Program Files\IBM\DB2). Check for the db2pd or db2level command in PATH.Affected if IBM DB2 software is present on the system
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Determine installed DB2 versionRun 'db2level' or 'db2pd -version' as the DB2 instance user. If command unavailable, check version file in installation directory (e.g., db2ls output or version file in DB2 install path).Affected if Installed version is 9.7, 10.1, 10.5, or 11.1 exactly
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Check DB2 instance user and privilegesIdentify the DB2 instance owner (typically db2inst1, db2fenc1, or similar). Run 'id <db2user>' to check group memberships. Verify if this user has privileged access beyond database operations.Affected if DB2 instance user has elevated system privileges or belongs to privileged groups
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Inspect DB2 directory file permissionsRun 'ls -la' on DB2 installation directories and database paths. Check if any directories or configuration files are world-writable or owned by a non-DB2 user.Affected if DB2 directories or critical files have overly permissive access (e.g., world-writable permissions)
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Check for local user access to DB2 pathsAs a non-privileged local user account (not DB2 owner), attempt to list or write to DB2 directories and files. Use 'ls -l' to verify actual ACLs and permissions.Affected if Non-DB2 users can write to DB2 installation or data directories
System is affected if IBM DB2 version 9.7, 10.1, 10.5, or 11.1 is installed AND local unprivileged users can write to DB2 directories or files due to improper permissions.
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 relevant IBM DB2 interim fix or patch for this vulnerability. Additionally, restrict local system access to trusted users and ensure the DB2 service runs with minimal required privileges.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 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 $3,408.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-1799 — 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-2018-1799 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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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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