CVE-2023-46167
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) 11.5 federated server is vulnerable to a denial of service when a specially crafted cursor is used. IBM X-Force ID: 269367.
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 11.5 federated server contains a denial of service vulnerability that can be triggered by a specially crafted cursor. The federated server component, which allows querying data from multiple heterogeneous data sources, fails to properly handle the malformed cursor leading to service disruption.
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>= 11.5.6, <= 11.5.8CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
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 the command `db2level` or query `SELECT SERVICE_LEVEL FROM SYSCAT.ENVIRONMENT_INFO;` to retrieve the exact version and build number.Affected if The version is 11.5.6, 11.5.7, or 11.5.8 (versions 11.5.6 through 11.5.8 inclusive).
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Verify federated server is enabledRun the command `db2 get db cfg for <database_name> | grep -i federated` or query `SELECT VALUE FROM SYSIBMADM.DBCFG WHERE NAME = 'FEDERATED';`.Affected if The FEDERATED parameter is set to YES, indicating the federated server feature is enabled.
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Check for federated data sourcesQuery the federated metadata: `SELECT WRAPPER_NAME, SERVER_NAME FROM SYSCAT.SERVERS;` or check for any created nicknames via `SELECT * FROM SYSCAT.NICKNAMES;`.Affected if There are any federated servers, wrappers, or nicknames defined, meaning the federated functionality is actively configured.
You are affected if your Db2 version is 11.5.6 through 11.5.8 AND the federated server component is enabled with active federated data sources configured.
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.
dbcve · scopedApply the latest IBM Db2 fix pack (IBM recommends obtaining the fix from official IBM support channels). Prior to patching, backup the database and test in a non-production environment to ensure federated functionality remains operational.
IBM Db2 11.5.9 or later (or latest available 11.5.x maintenance release)
- 1. Identify the current IBM Db2 version by running 'db2level' or checking the installation.
- 2. Review IBM's official support portal or security advisories for the specific fix for CVE-2023-46167.
- 3. Plan a maintenance window for the upgrade process.
- 4. Backup all critical databases and configurations before proceeding.
- 5. Download and install the latest IBM Db2 11.5 maintenance release (11.5.9 or later) or the specific interim fix/patch for CVE-2023-46167 from IBM Fix Central.
- 6. Apply the upgrade following IBM's standard installation procedures.
- 7. After upgrade, verify the federated server functionality is operational.
- 8. Test that the previously vulnerable cursor functionality works correctly post-upgrade.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-46167 — 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-2023-46167 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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