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Db2Application · Ibm

CVE-2025-14688

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-04-30
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 12.1.3 or later.
See remediation →
59/100
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 11.5.0 through 11.5.9, and 12.1.0 through 12.1.3 for Linux, UNIX and Windows (includes Db2 Connect Server) could allow an authenticated user to cause a denial of service due to improper neutralization of special elements in data query logic when certain configurations exist.

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 11.5.0-11.5.9 and 12.1.0-12.1.3 on Linux, UNIX, and Windows contain a vulnerability where authenticated users can trigger a denial of service through improper neutralization of special elements in data query logic. The issue manifests only under specific configurations, causing the database service to become unavailable.

MitigationApply IBM Db2 patches for the respective versions (11.5.10+ or 12.1.4+) and review configuration settings related to data query handling to identify and harden vulnerable configurations.

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:>= 11.5.0, <= 11.5.9>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.3

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
High
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/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 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 check DB2 version via 'SELECT SERVICE_LEVEL FROM SYSIBM.SYSENV' query
    Affected if Version is 11.5.0 through 11.5.9 OR 12.1.0 through 12.1.3
  2. Confirm Db2 instance is running
    Check process status: on Linux/UNIX run 'ps -ef | grep db2sysc' or on Windows check Windows Services for Db2 service
    Affected if Db2 instance is active and accepting connections
  3. Verify authentication is enabled
    Check db2diag.log for authentication settings or query 'SELECT AUTHENTICATION FROM SYSIBM.SYSCAT.DATABASE'
    Affected if Database allows authenticated user connections (this is the default and required for exploitation)
  4. Review query handling configuration
    Examine Db2 configuration parameters related to query processing and data handling - check DB2SET variables and database manager configuration (db2 get dbm cfg)
    Affected if Non-default query handling or data query configurations are present that deviate from IBM defaults

The environment is affected if running Db2 version 11.5.0-11.5.9 or 12.1.0-12.1.3 with authenticated user access and specific query-related configurations that could trigger the DoS condition.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 12.1.3
Interim mitigation

Apply IBM Db2 patches for the respective versions (11.5.10+ or 12.1.4+) and review configuration settings related to data query handling to identify and harden vulnerable configurations.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Db2 11.5.10 or later for 11.5.x line; Db2 12.1.4 or later for 12.1.x line

  1. Check IBM's official security bulletin for this CVE to confirm the exact fixed versions and any specific patch instructions
  2. Identify your current Db2 version using 'db2level' command or 'SELECT * FROM SYSIBMADM.SYSENVIRONMENT'
  3. For Db2 11.5.x users: Upgrade to Db2 11.5.10 or later (the first release beyond the vulnerable range 11.5.0-11.5.9)
  4. For Db2 12.1.x users: Upgrade to Db2 12.1.4 or later (the first release beyond the vulnerable range 12.1.0-12.1.3)
  5. Apply the upgrade following IBM's standard Db2 upgrade procedures documented in the Installation and Configuration Guide
  6. After upgrade, verify the new version is running: 'db2level'
  7. Test critical workloads to ensure the upgrade does not negatively impact existing applications
Caveat Review IBM Db2 upgrade documentation for any compatibility changes between your current version and the target version; test in non-production environment first

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

Fix this in Db2 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
24.0 hours of engineering $4,240
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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-2025-14688 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