CVE-2020-4701 Explained : Impact and Mitigation
Learn about CVE-2020-4701 affecting IBM DB2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows versions 10.5, 11.1, and 11.5. Understand the impact, technical details, and mitigation steps to secure your systems.
IBM DB2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows versions 10.5, 11.1, and 11.5 is vulnerable to a buffer overflow, potentially allowing a local attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges.
Understanding CVE-2020-4701
IBM DB2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows is susceptible to a buffer overflow due to improper bounds checking, posing a significant security risk.
What is CVE-2020-4701?
- IBM DB2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows versions 10.5, 11.1, and 11.5 are impacted by a buffer overflow vulnerability.
- The vulnerability could be exploited by a local attacker to run arbitrary code on the system with root privileges.
The Impact of CVE-2020-4701
- CVSS Base Score: 8.4 (High)
- Attack Vector: Local
- Confidentiality Impact: High
- Integrity Impact: High
- Availability Impact: High
- Privileges Required: None
- Exploit Code Maturity: Unproven
- User Interaction: None
- Remediation Level: Official Fix
- Report Confidence: Confirmed
Technical Details of CVE-2020-4701
IBM DB2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows is affected by a critical buffer overflow vulnerability.
Vulnerability Description
- The vulnerability is caused by improper bounds checking.
- It could allow a local attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Products: DB2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows
- Versions: 10.5, 11.1, 11.5
Exploitation Mechanism
- The vulnerability can be exploited locally by an attacker to trigger a buffer overflow and execute malicious code.
Mitigation and Prevention
Immediate Steps to Take:
- Apply official fixes provided by IBM.
- Monitor IBM's security bulletins for updates.
Long-Term Security Practices:
- Regularly update and patch IBM DB2 installations.
- Implement least privilege access controls.
- Conduct regular security assessments and audits.
- Educate users on secure coding practices.
- Employ network segmentation to limit the impact of potential breaches.
- Backup critical data regularly.
- Stay informed about security best practices and emerging threats.
- Consider implementing intrusion detection and prevention systems.
- Engage in threat intelligence sharing with relevant communities.
- Collaborate with security professionals for ongoing risk assessment and mitigation.
Patching and Updates
- IBM provides official fixes to address the vulnerability in affected versions of DB2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows.