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Db2Application · Ibm

CVE-2020-4200

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-02-19
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
IBM DB2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows (includes DB2 Connect Server) 10.5, 11.1, and 11.5 could allow an authenticated attacker to send specially crafted commands to cause a denial of service. IBM X-Force ID: 174914.

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 confidence

IBM DB2 versions 10.5, 11.1, and 11.5 contain a denial of service vulnerability where an authenticated attacker can send specially crafted commands to disrupt service availability.

MitigationApply IBM DB2 patches or upgrade to a fixed version. Restrict database access to trusted authenticated users only until the patch can be applied.

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:= 10.5= 11.1= 11.5

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
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

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 installed DB2 version
    Run 'db2level' command from a DB2 instance owner or check DB2 installation directory for version files. On Windows, check the registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\IBM\DB2\InstalledCopies. On Linux/UNIX, check /opt/ibm/db2/version.db and the output of 'db2pd -version'.
    Affected if The installed version is 10.5, 11.1, or 11.5 (any subversion within these release families).
  2. Confirm DB2 instance is running
    Execute 'db2pd -inst' or 'db2 list active databases' to verify the DB2 instance is active. Also check if the DB2 process (db2sysc) is running.
    Affected if The DB2 instance is running and accessible, making it a potential target for authenticated attackers.
  3. Verify authentication is enabled
    Check DB2 configuration with 'db2 get dbm cfg | grep AUTHENTICATION' to see the authentication setting. Common settings include SERVER, SERVER_ENCRYPT, KERBEROS, or GSSPLUGIN.
    Affected if Authentication is set to any mode that allows valid database users to connect (not set to NONE). The vulnerability requires an authenticated attacker.
  4. Assess network exposure
    Review firewall rules and DB2 listener configuration. Check 'db2 get dbm cfg | grep SVCENAME' to find the service name, then check which network interfaces the DB2 listener is bound to. Use 'netstat -an | grep DB2_PORT' to see listening ports.
    Affected if DB2 is listening on external/network interfaces (0.0.0.0 or non-localhost) and accessible from networks beyond localhost.
  5. Review DB2 audit logs for DoS indicators
    Examine DB2 audit logs if audit facility is enabled. Check for sudden spikes in failed commands, session disconnections, or abnormal patterns. Look in DB2AUD directory or use 'db2audit describe' to locate logs.
    Affected if Audit logs show patterns of service disruption or unusual command patterns from authenticated sessions.

If the installed DB2 version is 10.5, 11.1, or 11.5 AND the database accepts authenticated connections over accessible network interfaces, the environment is vulnerable to this DoS flaw.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply IBM DB2 patches or upgrade to a fixed version. Restrict database access to trusted authenticated users only until the patch can be applied.

Fix this in Db2 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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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-2020-4200 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

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