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Db2Application · Ibm

CVE-2023-38729

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-04-03
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 is vulnerable to sensitive information disclosure when using ADMIN_CMD with IMPORT or EXPORT.

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 on Linux, UNIX, and Windows contain a vulnerability in the ADMIN_CMD procedure that allows sensitive information disclosure when processing IMPORT or EXPORT operations. An authenticated database user with access to ADMIN_CMD can potentially retrieve sensitive data they should not have access to through these administrative commands.

MitigationApply the IBM Db2 fix pack or patch for CVE-2023-38729. Additionally, review and restrict permissions on ADMIN_CMD to ensure only authorized users can execute IMPORT/EXPORT operations, and audit existing usage for potential unauthorized access.

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
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 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 query DB2 with: SELECT SERVICE_LEVEL, VERSION, RELEASE, MODIFICATION FROM SYSIBM.SYSVERSION
    Affected if The version shown is 10.5, 11.1, or 11.5 (any subversion within these major releases)
  2. Verify ADMIN_CMD procedure exists
    Query SYSIBM.SYSROUTINES: SELECT ROUTINENAME FROM SYSIBM.SYSROUTINES WHERE ROUTINENAME = 'ADMIN_CMD' AND ROUTINESCHEMA = 'SYSPROC'
    Affected if The ADMIN_CMD procedure is found in the database (it exists by default in affected versions)
  3. Check current user permissions on ADMIN_CMD
    Query SYSCAT.ROUTINEAUTH: SELECT GRANTEE, EXECUTE FROM SYSCAT.ROUTINEAUTH WHERE ROUTINENAME = 'ADMIN_CMD' AND ROUTINESCHEMA = 'SYSPROC'
    Affected if Users other than DBADMIN or authorized personnel have EXECUTE permission on ADMIN_CMD
  4. Audit ADMIN_CMD usage for IMPORT/EXPORT commands
    Review Db2 audit logs or query DB2AUDIT for recent ADMIN_CMD invocations containing IMPORT or EXPORT keywords, or check diag logs for ADMIN_CMD activity
    Affected if IMPORT or EXPORT operations via ADMIN_CMD have been executed by users who should not have access to sensitive data

You are affected if you run Db2 version 10.5, 11.1, or 11.5 and any user with EXECUTE permission on ADMIN_CMD could have accessed data beyond their authorized scope through IMPORT or EXPORT operations.

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

Apply the IBM Db2 fix pack or patch for CVE-2023-38729. Additionally, review and restrict permissions on ADMIN_CMD to ensure only authorized users can execute IMPORT/EXPORT operations, and audit existing usage for potential unauthorized access.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

IBM Db2 10.5 FP11+, 11.1.11+, or 11.5.8+ (or latest available fix pack for your respective version)

  1. Check your current Db2 version using: db2level
  2. Identify the specific fix pack level you currently have installed
  3. Download and install the appropriate IBM Db2 fix pack that addresses CVE-2023-38729 from IBM Fix Central (https://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/)
  4. Apply the fix pack following IBM's standard installation procedures for your operating system
  5. After installation, verify the fix by running: db2level
  6. Test that ADMIN_CMD with IMPORT/EXPORT operations work correctly post-patch
Caveat Review IBM's fix pack release notes for any known compatibility issues or migration considerations before applying

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

Fix this in Db2 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
24.0 hours of engineering $4,260
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2023-38729 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