CVE-2021-38926
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, 11.1, and 11.5 could allow a local user to gain privileges due to allowing modification of columns of existing tasks. IBM X-Force ID: 210321.
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 for Linux, UNIX and Windows versions 9.7 through 11.5 contains a local privilege escalation vulnerability where an authenticated local user can modify columns of existing tasks to gain elevated privileges. The vulnerability stems from improper authorization controls on the task modification functionality, allowing a less-privileged user to alter task configurations owned by higher-privileged users.
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= 11.1= 11.5all versionsCVSS 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:3.1/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 installed IBM Db2 versionRun 'db2level' command or query DB2 with 'SELECT GET_VARCHAR_FOR_BIT_DATA(PACKAGE_VERSION) FROM SYSIBM.SYSPACKAGE WHERE PKGNAME = 'DB2'.'. Alternatively, check the installation directory for version files or use 'db2pd -version'.Affected if The installed version is 9.7, 10.1, 10.5, 11.1, or 11.5 (or any version between 9.7 and 11.5).
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Verify database user authenticationConfirm that local OS users have access to connect to the Db2 database instance. Check db2diag.log for connection attempts or query 'LIST DATABASE DIRECTORY' to see accessible databases.Affected if Local (non-admin) OS users can authenticate to the Db2 instance.
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Check for task management functionalityQuery the Db2 system catalog for task-related objects. Run: SELECT * FROM SYSCAT.TASKS or check for any user-defined tasks in the database. Also look for DBADM or ACCESSCTRL authority on the database.Affected if The database contains task objects (SYSCAT.TASKS) or the user has privileges to create/modify tasks.
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Assess user privilege levelsRun 'SELECT GRANTOR, GRANTEE, AUTHID, CONTROLAUTH, DBADMAUTH FROM SYSCAT.DBAUTH' to see who has elevated privileges, then compare with the current user's privileges using 'GET AUTHORIZATIONS' or 'SELECT * FROM SESSION.USER_AUTH' if available.Affected if The user has limited privileges but can access the same database as higher-privileged users.
Your environment is affected if you run IBM Db2 versions 9.7 through 11.5 and local database users with varying privilege levels can access and modify task configurations.
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 dataRestrict local database access to trusted, authorized users only and apply IBM's vendor patches for this vulnerability. Review and minimize database user privileges following the principle of least privilege.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 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 $4,544.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-38926 — 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-2021-38926 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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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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