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Db2Application · Ibm

CVE-2021-29825

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-09-16
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges 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) could disclose sensitive information when using ADMIN_CMD with LOAD or BACKUP. IBM X-Force ID: 204470.

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 contains an information disclosure vulnerability where sensitive information could be exposed when using the ADMIN_CMD procedure with LOAD or BACKUP operations. The vulnerability is exploitable over the network with low complexity and no authentication required, as reflected in the CVSS 7.5 score.

MitigationRestrict access to the ADMIN_CMD procedure and limit which users can execute LOAD and BACKUP operations. Apply the IBM Db2 patch for CVE-2021-29825 when available, and review audit logs for suspicious ADMIN_CMD usage.

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:= 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
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

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

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check IBM Db2 version
    Run `db2level` or `db2pd -version` from a Db2 instance owner account to determine the exact version and fix pack level
    Affected if The installed version is 11.1 or 11.5 (any fix pack)
  2. Verify ADMIN_CMD procedure exists
    Query SYSCAT.ROUTINES: `SELECT ROUTINENAME FROM SYSCAT.ROUTINES WHERE ROUTINENAME='ADMIN_CMD' AND ROUTINESCHEMA='SYSIBM'`
    Affected if The ADMIN_CMD procedure exists in the database (it is present by default in affected versions)
  3. Check user permissions for LOAD and BACKUP
    Query current user authorities: `SELECT GRANTEE, AUTHORITY FROM SYSCAT.DBAUTH WHERE AUTHID IN (CURRENT USER, 'PUBLIC') AND (LOADAUTH='Y' OR BACKUP_AUTH='Y')`
    Affected if Users or PUBLIC have LOAD or BACKUP authority granted directly or via group membership
  4. Assess network exposure of Db2 listener
    Check which interfaces the Db2 port listens on: `netstat -an | grep 50000` (or your configured Db2 port) or review dbm config with `get dbm cfg` looking for SVCENAME setting
    Affected if The Db2 port is bound to 0.0.0.0 or an external network interface rather than localhost only
  5. Review audit logs for ADMIN_CMD usage
    Examine Db2 audit logs or db2diag.log for entries containing 'ADMIN_CMD' with LOAD or BACKUP operations, particularly from unexpected sources or outside business hours
    Affected if Audit logs show unauthorized or suspicious ADMIN_CMD LOAD/BACKUP executions

You are affected if running IBM Db2 versions 11.1 or 11.5 with ADMIN_CMD procedure accessible over the network and users have LOAD/BACKUP authorities granted.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Restrict access to the ADMIN_CMD procedure and limit which users can execute LOAD and BACKUP operations. Apply the IBM Db2 patch for CVE-2021-29825 when available, and review audit logs for suspicious ADMIN_CMD usage.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Db2 11.1 with latest fix pack or Db2 11.5 with latest fix pack (contact IBM for specific modpack/FP number)

  1. 1. Identify your current Db2 version and fix pack level using: db2level command
  2. 2. Review IBM's official security bulletin for CVE-2021-29825 at www.ibm.com to determine the specific fix pack required
  3. 3. Download and apply the latest Db2 fix pack for your version (11.1 or 11.5) from IBM Fix Central
  4. 4. After applying the fix, verify the version has been updated: dblevel
  5. 5. Test that ADMIN_CMD functionality works correctly with LOAD and BACKUP operations
  6. 6. Confirm the vulnerability is resolved by ensuring sensitive information is no longer disclosed
Caveat Standard Db2 fix pack upgrade - review IBM release notes for any configuration or compatibility changes

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Db2 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,800
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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-2021-29825 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
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data