Overview
A critical vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-33092, has been discovered in IBM Db2 for Linux versions 12.1.0, 12.1.1, and 12.1.2. This security flaw poses potential system compromise or data leakage risk as it allows a local user to overflow the buffer and execute arbitrary code on the system. Given the ubiquity of IBM Db2 in enterprise environments, this vulnerability could have severe implications for businesses worldwide, stressing the importance of immediate mitigation.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-33092
Severity: High (CVSS: 7.8)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise and data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
IBM Db2 for Linux | 12.1.0
IBM Db2 for Linux | 12.1.1
IBM Db2 for Linux | 12.1.2
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability resides in the db2fm process of IBM Db2 for Linux. Due to improper bounds checking, the process is susceptible to a stack-based buffer overflow attack. An attacker with local access could exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted data that exceeds the buffer’s capacity. If successful, the overflow could corrupt adjacent memory spaces, allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the system.
Conceptual Example Code
The following is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. This example illustrates an oversimplified scenario where a local user sends a large amount of data to the db2fm process, leading to a buffer overflow.
# Generate a large amount of data
$ data=$(python -c 'print("A"*5000)')
# Send the data to db2fm process
$ echo "$data" | ./db2fmIn a real-world scenario, an attacker could use a more sophisticated approach to exploit this vulnerability, such as injecting shellcode into the overflowed buffer to gain control over the system.
Mitigation
IBM has released patches to address this vulnerability. Users of affected versions of IBM Db2 for Linux are strongly advised to update their systems immediately. In the meantime, implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as a temporary mitigation measure. However, these solutions should not replace the need for patching, as they can only detect and potentially block exploit attempts, not eliminate the underlying vulnerability.
