CVE-2010-3738 in DB2
Summary
by MITRE
The Security component in IBM DB2 UDB 9.5 before FP6a logs AUDIT events by using a USERID and an AUTHID value corresponding to the instance owner, instead of a USERID and an AUTHID value corresponding to the logged-in user account, which makes it easier for remote authenticated users to execute Audit administration commands without discovery.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3738 resides within IBM DB2 Universal Database version 9.5 prior to fix pack 6a, specifically affecting the Security component's audit logging mechanism. This flaw represents a significant authorization bypass issue that undermines the integrity of database audit trails and creates opportunities for unauthorized administrative actions. The vulnerability stems from improper credential handling during audit event logging, where the system incorrectly attributes audit records to the database instance owner rather than the actual user performing the operations. This misattribution creates a dangerous scenario where authenticated users can manipulate audit logs to appear as if they are operating under the privileges of the instance owner, effectively bypassing normal access controls and audit monitoring mechanisms that are designed to track user activities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the audit subsystem's failure to properly map user credentials during event logging operations. When database users perform authenticated operations that generate audit events, the system should log these events with the correct USERID and AUTHID values corresponding to the actual logged-in user account. However, the flaw causes the system to consistently use the instance owner's credentials instead, creating a mismatch between the operational activities and the audit trail records. This credential misrepresentation occurs at the core level of database security management, affecting how audit events are categorized, tracked, and potentially exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability operates at the application level and specifically impacts the database's security auditing infrastructure, making it particularly dangerous as it undermines the fundamental security monitoring capabilities that organizations rely upon to detect unauthorized access attempts and malicious activities.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a substantial risk for database administrators and security teams who depend on accurate audit trails for compliance monitoring and security incident response. Remote authenticated users can exploit this flaw to execute audit administration commands without detection, effectively allowing them to manipulate or suppress audit records that would normally be generated by their activities. The impact extends beyond simple audit manipulation as it enables privilege escalation scenarios where attackers can perform administrative functions that should be restricted to authorized personnel only. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and compromises the integrity of the audit logging mechanism, potentially allowing attackers to hide their activities from security monitoring systems while simultaneously gaining unauthorized access to database administrative functions. The flaw affects database environments that rely on proper audit trails for regulatory compliance, forensic analysis, and security incident investigation, making it particularly concerning for organizations operating under strict compliance requirements such as those governed by pci dss, hipaa, or soc 2 standards.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided fix pack 6a or later versions of IBM DB2 UDB 9.5 to address this vulnerability. The recommended approach involves comprehensive system updates and thorough testing of the patched environment to ensure that audit logging functionality operates correctly with proper user credential attribution. Security teams should conduct immediate reviews of existing audit logs to identify any potential exploitation attempts that may have occurred prior to patching, as the vulnerability could have enabled unauthorized activities that were not properly recorded. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing additional monitoring controls that can detect anomalies in audit logging behavior, such as unexpected changes in audit record patterns or unauthorized access attempts that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. The remediation process should include verification that audit events now properly log with the correct USERID and AUTHID values corresponding to the actual user accounts performing operations rather than the instance owner credentials. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper credential handling in security-sensitive systems and reinforces the need for regular security assessments and timely application of vendor security patches to maintain database integrity and audit trail reliability.