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Db2Application · Ibm

CVE-2021-39002

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-12-09
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) 9.7, 10.1, 10.5, 11.1, and 11.5 uses weaker than expected cryptographic algorithms that could allow an attacker to decrypt highly sensitive information.

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 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows (versions 9.7 through 11.5) implements weaker-than-expected cryptographic algorithms in its encryption mechanisms. This cryptographic weakness could allow a remote attacker to decrypt highly sensitive information that was ostensibly protected by DB2's encryption.

MitigationOrganizations should update DB2 to the latest supported version and configure stronger cryptographic algorithms (e.g., AES-256, TLS 1.2+) in database configuration settings, following IBM's security hardening guidelines.

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:= 9.7= 10.1= 10.5= 11.1= 11.5
Oncommand InsightApplication
Affected:all versions

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. Identify IBM DB2 installation and version
    Run 'db2level' command or check /opt/ibm directory for DB2 installation, then note the exact version number returned
    Affected if The installed version is 9.7, 10.1, 10.5, 11.1, or 11.5
  2. Check if DB2 encryption feature is enabled
    Query the database configuration using 'db2 get db cfg' and look for encryption-related parameters such as 'ssl_version', 'ssl_cipher', or 'encrypt_db' settings
    Affected if Encryption is enabled and configured to use weak algorithms
  3. Review SSL/TLS cipher configuration
    Examine DB2 configuration files (dbm cfg) or registry settings for SSL cipher suites, specifically checking if weak ciphers (such as those with 40-bit or 56-bit keys) are permitted
    Affected if Weak cipher suites are permitted in the configuration
  4. Verify NetApp OnCommand Insight installation
    Check if Oncommand Insight software is installed on the system by looking for its installation directory or running 'oci --version' if the CLI is available
    Affected if Oncommand Insight is installed (all versions are affected)

A user is affected if they have IBM DB2 version 9.7, 10.1, 10.5, 11.1, or 11.5 with encryption enabled using weak cryptographic algorithms, or if they have any version of NetApp Oncommand Insight installed.

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

Organizations should update DB2 to the latest supported version and configure stronger cryptographic algorithms (e.g., AES-256, TLS 1.2+) in database configuration settings, following IBM's security hardening guidelines.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

IBM Db2 version 11.5 or later (ensure latest fix pack is applied)

  1. 1. Identify the current IBM Db2 version by running 'db2level' command or checking db2diag.log
  2. 2. For Db2 versions 9.7, 10.1, 10.5, or 11.1, plan an upgrade to Db2 version 11.5 or later
  3. 3. Before upgrading, back up all databases using 'db2 backup database <dbname>'
  4. 4. Review IBM Db2 upgrade documentation for your specific version path
  5. 5. Apply the latest Db2 fix pack for your target version after installation
  6. 6. Verify the cryptographic settings post-upgrade by reviewing DB2 configuration parameters related to SSL/TLS
  7. 7. For Oncommand Insight, check NetApp security advisories (security.netapp.com) for available patches, as NetApp acquired this product
Caveat Review IBM's Db2 upgrade guide for version-specific considerations; test applications against new version before production deployment

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

Fix this in Db2 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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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-2021-39002 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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