NGSSoftware Insight Security Research Advisory

Name: IBM DB2 db2fmp buffer overflow
Systems Affected: DB2 8.1/7.x  
Severity: High risk from local
Vendor URL: http://www.ibm.com/
Author: David Litchfield [ david at ngssoftware.com ]
Relates to: http://www.nextgenss.com/advisories/db2-02.txt
Date of Public Advisory: 5th January 2005
Advisory number: #NISR05012005A
Advisory URL: http://www.ngssoftware.com/advisories/db205012005A.txt

Description
***********
IBM's DB2 database server suffers from a local attack whereby passing an
overly parameter to the db2fmp binary will overflow a stack based buffer.

Details
*******
db2fmp is used for running fenced libraries. A fenced library is one that is
not loaded into the main DB2 process so in the event of an error the server
is not taken down as well. On unix based versions of DB2, db2fmp is
installed setuid root. Exploiting this buffer overrun can allow a local
attacker to gain root privileges.

Note - Some versions may drop root privileges before the overflow can be
exploited.

Note - Whilst the overflow is present on Windows platforms it cannot be
exploited to gain elevated privileges.

Fix Information
***************
IBM has written a patch and can be obtained with the latest fixpak.

http://www-306.ibm.com/software/data/db2/udb/support/downloadv8.html - DB2
v8.1
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/data/db2/udb/support/downloadv7.html - DB2
v7.x

NGSSQuirreL for DB2 (http://www.nextgenss.com/db2.htm) can be used to assess
whether your DB2 server is vulnerable to this.


About NGSSoftware
*****************
NGSSoftware design, research and develop intelligent, advanced application
security assessment scanners. Based in the United Kingdom, NGSSoftware have
offices in the South of London and the East Coast of Scotland. NGSSoftware's
sister company NGSConsulting, offers best of breed security consulting
services, specialising in application, host and network security
assessments.

http://www.ngssoftware.com/

Telephone +44 208 401 0070
Fax +44 208 401 0076

enquiries@ngssoftware.com