CVE-2005-3568 in DB2 Content Manager
Summary
by MITRE
db2fmp process in IBM DB2 Content Manager before 8.2 Fix Pack 10 allows local users to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) by importing a corrupted Microsoft Excel file, aka "CORRUPTED EXEL FILE WILL CAUSE TEXT SEARCH PROCESS LOOPING."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-3568 affects IBM DB2 Content Manager version 8.2 Fix Pack 9 and earlier, specifically targeting the db2fmp process responsible for file management operations. This flaw represents a significant security concern as it enables local attackers to exploit a processing loop that consumes excessive cpu resources, ultimately leading to denial of service conditions. The vulnerability manifests when the system attempts to import corrupted Microsoft Excel files, creating an abnormal processing behavior that can be leveraged to disrupt normal system operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the file import mechanism of the db2fmp process. When processing corrupted excel files, the system enters an infinite loop during text search operations, continuously consuming cpu cycles without proper termination conditions. This processing loop represents a classic example of a resource exhaustion attack pattern where malicious input causes the system to consume disproportionate computational resources. The flaw exists at the application level within the content management system's file handling routines, specifically in how it processes malformed excel file structures during import operations.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a substantial risk for organizations relying on IBM DB2 Content Manager for document management and content storage. The denial of service condition can render the content management system unavailable to legitimate users, disrupting business processes that depend on document retrieval and storage capabilities. The local privilege requirement means that an attacker must already have access to the system to exploit this vulnerability, but this access level is often sufficient to cause significant operational disruption in environments where system administrators or authorized users maintain local access. The continuous cpu consumption can lead to system instability, performance degradation, and potential cascading failures in dependent services.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the available IBM security patches and fix packs, specifically targeting IBM DB2 Content Manager 8.2 Fix Pack 10 and later versions. System administrators should also implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual cpu consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additional protective measures include restricting local access privileges to the db2fmp process, implementing file validation procedures before import operations, and establishing automated alerting for resource exhaustion conditions. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes resource exhaustion flaws, and represents a variant of the broader attack pattern documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation and denial of service techniques. The fix addresses the root cause by implementing proper input validation and loop termination conditions within the file import processing pipeline, ensuring that malformed excel files cannot trigger infinite processing loops.