dbcve.org
Db2Application · Ibm

CVE-2025-36185

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-11-07
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 12.1.2 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 12.1.0 through 12.1.2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows (includes Db2 Connect Server) could allow a local user to cause a denial of service due to improper neutralization of special elements in data query logic.

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 12.1.0 through 12.1.2 contain a vulnerability where a local user can cause a denial of service due to improper neutralization of special elements in data query logic, likely indicating an injection-type flaw in how the database handles query data.

MitigationApply IBM's interim fix or upgrade to a patched Db2 version beyond 12.1.2. Review Db2 query handling configurations and monitor for unusual query patterns from local users.

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:>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.2

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/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 or check Db2 installation directory for version file, or query 'SELECT GETVARIABLE('SYSINSTALL.DB2VERSION') FROM SYSIBM.SYSDUMMY1'
    Affected if The version number starts with 12.1.0, 12.1.1, or 12.1.2 (falls within 12.1.0 through 12.1.2)
  2. Confirm Db2 instance is active
    Run 'db2 list active databases' or check db2pd -instances output
    Affected if The Db2 instance is running and accessible, making the denial of service exploitable
  3. Verify local user authentication is enabled
    Check dbm cfg for AUTHENTICATION parameter (db2 get dbm cfg | grep -i auth) or review SYSIBM.SYSAUTH table permissions
    Affected if Local users can authenticate to the database, which is required for them to trigger the vulnerable query logic
  4. Review recent query logs for anomalous patterns
    Examine db2diag.log or query history tables (SYSCAT.HISTORY or MON_GET_ACTIVITY) for unusual or malformed queries from local users
    Affected if Evidence exists of unusual query patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts

Your environment is affected if Db2 version is 12.1.0, 12.1.1, or 12.1.2 and the database instance is running with local user access enabled.

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.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 12.1.2
Interim mitigation

Apply IBM's interim fix or upgrade to a patched Db2 version beyond 12.1.2. Review Db2 query handling configurations and monitor for unusual query patterns from local users.

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
Get the upgrade done

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 locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-36185 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2025-36185 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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