CVE-2016-0215 in DB2
Summary
by MITRE
IBM DB2 9.7, 10.1 before FP6, and 10.5 before FP8 on AIX, Linux, HP, Solaris and Windows allow remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) via a SELECT statement with a subquery containing the AVG OLAP function on an Oracle compatible database.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2019
IBM DB2 database versions 9.7, 10.1 before fix pack 6, and 10.5 before fix pack 8 contain a vulnerability that enables authenticated remote attackers to trigger a denial of service condition through specifically crafted SQL queries. This vulnerability specifically affects systems running on AIX, Linux, HP-UX, Solaris, and Windows operating systems, making it broadly applicable across multiple platform environments. The flaw manifests when a SELECT statement includes a subquery containing the AVG OLAP function within an Oracle compatible database configuration, causing the database daemon to crash and resulting in service disruption.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in insufficient input validation and error handling within the query processing engine of IBM DB2. When the database engine encounters a SELECT statement with a subquery utilizing the AVG OLAP function, it fails to properly validate the complex query structure, leading to memory corruption or unexpected execution paths that ultimately result in daemon termination. This represents a classic buffer overflow or memory management issue that can be exploited through carefully constructed SQL syntax. The vulnerability is classified as a denial of service condition that directly impacts the availability of database services, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where database uptime is critical.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can affect business continuity and data availability for organizations relying on IBM DB2 databases. Attackers who can authenticate to the database system can leverage this vulnerability to repeatedly crash database daemons, potentially causing extended downtime and requiring manual intervention to restore services. The vulnerability affects Oracle compatibility mode databases, which means organizations with mixed database environments or those migrating to Oracle compatibility may be particularly at risk. This issue also has implications for database administrators who must monitor and maintain system availability across multiple supported platforms.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant fix packs for IBM DB2 versions 10.1 FP6 and 10.5 FP8, or upgrading to supported versions that contain the necessary security patches. System administrators should also consider implementing database access controls and monitoring for unusual query patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a potential entry point for attackers seeking to disrupt database services. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the T1499.004 technique related to network denial of service, where adversaries leverage system weaknesses to compromise availability. Additionally, the vulnerability may be exploited as part of a broader attack chain where initial access is gained through other means, and this denial of service capability is used to maintain persistence or disrupt incident response efforts.