CVE-2023-29256
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) 10.5, 11.1, and 11.5 is vulnerable to an information disclosure due to improper privilege management when certain federation features are used. IBM X-Force ID: 252046.
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 10.5, 11.1, and 11.5 contains an information disclosure vulnerability stemming from improper privilege management in certain federation features. The federation capability allows cross-database querying, and improper privilege handling can allow unauthorized users to access sensitive information they should not have rights to view.
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= 10.5.0.11= 11.1.4.7= 11.5CVSS 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
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Determine installed Db2 versionRun command: `db2level` or query `SYSIBMADM.DBMCFG` for `service_level`Affected if Installed version is 10.5.0.11, 11.1.4.7, or any 11.5.x release
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Confirm federation feature is in useQuery system catalog: `SELECT * FROM SYSCAT.SERVERS` to list configured federation data sources (wrapper definitions, remote servers)Affected if Any federation servers or wrappers are defined in the Db2 instance
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Check for unauthorized access to federation objectsQuery privileges: `SELECT GRANTEE, TABNAME, CONTROLAUTH FROM SYSCAT.TABAUTH WHERE TABNAME IN (SELECT SERVERNAME FROM SYSCAT.SERVERS)`Affected if Users or groups without proper authorization have SELECT, CONTROL, or DBADM authority on federation server objects
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Inspect federation user mappingsRun query: `SELECT * FROM SYSCAT.USEROPTIONS` where SERVER_TYPE is not null, or check `SYSCAT.SERVEROPTIONS` for user-defined mappings to remote data sourcesAffected if User mappings exist for users who should not have access to cross-database data through federation
Your environment is affected if you run a vulnerable Db2 version (10.5.0.11, 11.1.4.7, or 11.5.x) AND the federation feature is enabled with any configured data sources accessible to unauthorized users.
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 IBM Db2 patches for CVE-2023-29256 when available. If patches are unavailable, review and restrict federation feature permissions to minimize exposure, or disable federation features if not required in the environment.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-29256 — 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-2023-29256 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
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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