CVE-2005-4868 in DB2
Summary
by MITRE
Shared memory sections and events in IBM DB2 8.1 have default permissions of read and write for the Everyone group, which allows local users to gain unauthorized access, gain senstitive information, such as cleartext passwords, and cause a denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/02/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-4868 represents a critical security flaw in IBM DB2 8.1 database management system where shared memory sections and events are configured with overly permissive default permissions. This issue stems from the database software's failure to implement proper access control mechanisms for its internal shared memory objects, creating a fundamental weakness in the system's security architecture. The vulnerability specifically affects the Windows operating system implementation of DB2 8.1 where the default security settings grant read and write access to the Everyone group, effectively allowing any local user to interact with these sensitive system resources. This misconfiguration directly violates the principle of least privilege and creates an attack surface that can be exploited by malicious actors with local system access.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of shared memory segments and event objects that IBM DB2 uses for inter-process communication and system coordination. When local users can read from these shared memory sections, they gain access to sensitive data that may include cleartext passwords, database connection strings, and other confidential information stored in memory. The write permissions further amplify the threat as attackers can modify these memory segments to inject malicious data or corrupt the database system's operational state. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-276, which specifically addresses improper permissions for shared resources, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1003.001 for OS credential dumping, as the cleartext passwords exposed through this mechanism can be directly extracted and potentially used for privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-4868 extends beyond simple information disclosure to include potential system compromise and service disruption. Local users who exploit this vulnerability can gain unauthorized access to sensitive database information, potentially exposing proprietary data, user credentials, and system configurations. The ability to cause denial of service through memory corruption or manipulation of shared resources creates additional operational risks that can impact database availability and integrity. Organizations running IBM DB2 8.1 on Windows systems face significant risk of data breaches and system instability if this vulnerability remains unaddressed. The vulnerability affects the fundamental security posture of database systems and can lead to cascading security issues when database credentials are compromised and used to access other network resources.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper access control configurations for shared memory objects. System administrators should modify the default permissions on shared memory sections and events to restrict access to only authorized processes and users. The recommended approach involves setting specific security descriptors that limit access to the db2service account and other legitimate database processes while removing access for the Everyone group. Organizations should also implement regular security audits to verify that shared memory objects maintain appropriate permissions and consider upgrading to newer versions of IBM DB2 where these security issues have been addressed. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and privilege separation can help reduce the potential impact if local access is compromised. This vulnerability underscores the importance of proper security configuration management and the need for regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar issues in database and system components.