CVE-2013-5466 in DB2
Summary
by MITRE
The XSLT library in IBM DB2 and DB2 Connect 9.5 through 10.5, and the DB2 pureScale Feature 9.8 for Enterprise Server Edition, allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/04/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-5466 affects IBM DB2 database systems and DB2 Connect implementations across multiple versions including 9.5 through 10.5 and DB2 pureScale Feature 9.8 for Enterprise Server Edition. This issue resides within the XSLT library component of these database systems, representing a significant security concern that impacts organizations relying on IBM's database infrastructure for critical business operations. The vulnerability specifically enables authenticated remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks against targeted systems.
The technical flaw manifests through unspecified vectors within the XSLT processing functionality that exists in IBM DB2 implementations. XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) is a language for transforming XML documents into other formats, and when improperly handled within database systems, it can become a vector for exploitation. The vulnerability allows attackers who have already established authentication credentials to manipulate XSLT processing functions in ways that cause system resources to become unavailable or system processes to terminate unexpectedly. This represents a weakness in input validation and resource management within the XSLT processing subsystem that could be leveraged to disrupt database services.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risk to database availability and business continuity. Organizations utilizing affected IBM DB2 versions may experience service disruptions that impact data accessibility, application performance, and overall system reliability. The authenticated nature of the attack means that an attacker must first obtain valid credentials, but once authenticated, they can potentially cause significant system degradation or complete service outages. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where database systems are critical infrastructure components supporting numerous business applications and services.
The impact of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" in software systems, and relates to the broader category of denial of service attacks that compromise system availability. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a denial of service technique, specifically under the "Resource Exhaustion" tactic where adversaries consume system resources to prevent legitimate use of services. Organizations should consider this vulnerability in their threat modeling exercises and implement appropriate defensive measures to protect against authenticated attackers who may attempt to exploit this weakness. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and resource management in database system components, particularly those handling transformation processes.
Mitigation strategies should include applying the relevant IBM security patches and updates that address the XSLT library vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the exposure of database systems to unauthorized authenticated users. Monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual patterns in XSLT processing activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and credential management practices can help reduce the risk of authenticated attackers exploiting this vulnerability. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues within the database infrastructure.