CVE-2009-3473 in DB2
Summary
by MITRE
IBM DB2 9.1 before FP8 does not require the SETSESSIONUSER privilege for the SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION statement, which has unspecified impact and remote attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/16/2025
IBM DB2 version 9.1 prior to Fix Pack 8 contains a critical authorization flaw that undermines the database security model through improper privilege validation for session management operations. The vulnerability specifically affects the SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION statement which should typically require the SETSESSIONUSER privilege to execute successfully. This weakness allows unauthorized users to potentially escalate their privileges and assume the identity of other database users without proper authentication. The flaw exists in the database's privilege checking mechanism where the system fails to validate whether the executing user possesses the necessary SETSESSIONUSER privilege before allowing the SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION command to proceed.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access control validation within the DB2 database engine's authorization framework. When a user executes the SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION statement, the system should verify that the user has explicit permission to change session authorization context. However, in affected versions of DB2 9.1, this validation check is bypassed, enabling malicious actors to manipulate database session contexts. The vulnerability can be exploited through remote database connections where attackers can execute the problematic statement without proper authorization, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion operations. This represents a significant deviation from standard database security practices where session management operations require explicit privilege validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential data compromise and unauthorized administrative access. An attacker who can successfully exploit this vulnerability gains the ability to operate under different user identities within the database environment, potentially accessing data that would otherwise be restricted to specific user roles. The unspecified impact and remote attack vectors indicate that this vulnerability could be leveraged across network boundaries without requiring local system access, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments. The flaw essentially allows for unauthorized privilege delegation and session hijacking, which can lead to complete database compromise if combined with other vulnerabilities or if the compromised user has elevated privileges.
Organizations running affected DB2 9.1 systems should immediately implement the available Fix Pack 8 update to remediate this vulnerability. The fix addresses the core authorization validation issue by restoring proper privilege checking for the SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION statement. Additionally, database administrators should review existing user permissions and audit session management activities to identify any potential exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to limit unnecessary database access, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual session authorization changes. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control, and represents a specific instance of privilege escalation through authorization bypass. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation, potentially enabling attackers to maintain persistent access through session manipulation rather than traditional credential theft methods.