NGSSoftware Insight Security Research Advisory Name: Unauthorized Database Creation Privilege on Informix Systems Affected: 9.40.xC6 and earlier and 10.00.xC2, C1 Severity: High Vendor URL: http://www.ibm.com/ Author: David Litchfield [ davidl@ngssoftware.com ] Date of Public Advisory: 2nd August 2006 Advisory number: #NISR02082006H CVEID: http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2006-3861 Advisory URL: http://www.ngssoftware.com/research/ Description *********** Informix Dynamic Server is a database developed by IBM. During a security assessment of Informix it was discovered that any user can create a database and thus gain DBA privileges. Details ******* On Informix public has the connect privilege; thus anyone with a login may connect. Public can also issue the create database command. When the database is created, the user that created the database is made a DBA of that database. A DBA can execute code as the informix user and trivially gain root privileges. Fix Information *************** IBM was alerted to this flaw on the 13th January 2005. Patches have now been made available; further a workaround is to add "DBCREATE_PERMISSION username" to the ONCONFIG file where "username" is a list of comma seperated users that can create databases. NGSSQuirreL for Informix, an advanced vulnerability assessment scanner designed specifically for Informix, can be used to accurately determine whether your servers are vulnerable to this flaw. More information about NGSSQuirreL for Informix can be found here http://www.ngssoftware.com/products/database-security/ngs-squirrel-informix.php About NGSSoftware ***************** NGSSoftware develops vulnerability assessment and compliancy tools for database servers including Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, DB2, Sybase and Informix. Headquartered in the United Kingdom NGS has offices in London, St. Andrews (UK), Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth (Australia) and Texas in the United States; NGSConsulting provide services to some of the largest and most demanding organizations around the globe. http://www.ngssoftware.com/ Telephone +44 208 401 0070 Fax +44 208 401 0076 enquiries@ngssoftware.com