Evidence used
- No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
- EPSS is 0.34% for the current model date.
BlackTreeCVE IntelligenceFull vulnerability report · 2026
CVE-2026-16480High confidence
IBM® Db2® is affected by an improper authorization vulnerability in the certain command, allowing a non-privileged user to bypass authority checks and modify database catalog data.
IBM · Db2
4.3MediumCVSS 3.1
Scheduled
Patch availableMedium technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority.
R
Open reassessment dashboard →Operational reassessment
Published severity in operational context
Published severityMedium→Operational priority:Medium, unchanged from published severity.unchanged
Compensating controls
- Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
- Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
- Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.
Verification
- Confirm that the asset runs IBM Db2 and falls inside the recorded affected range.
- Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
- Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
- Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Medium technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority.
Patch available01
What, why and how
IBM Db2 11.5.0 through 11.5.9, and 12.1.0 through 12.1.5 is affected by an improper authorization vulnerability in the certain command, allowing a non-privileged user to bypass authority checks and modify database catalog data.
What
IBM Db2 11.5.0 through 11.5.9, and 12.1.0 through 12.1.5 is affected by an improper authorization vulnerability in the certain command, allowing a non-privileged user to bypass authority checks and modify database catalog data.
Why
The product is composed of a server that relies on the client to implement a mechanism that is intended to protect the server.
How
An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.
What
IBM Db2 11.5.0 through 11.5.9, and 12.1.0 through 12.1.5 is affected by an improper authorization vulnerability in the certain command, allowing a non-privileged user to bypass authority checks and modify database catalog data.
Why
The product is composed of a server that relies on the client to implement a mechanism that is intended to protect the server.
How
An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.
02
Exploit reality and attack path
CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.
Observed exploitation No confirmed evidence
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.
Public PoC / exploit material None recorded
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.
- Likely attack path
- a network path → Client-Side Enforcement of Server-Side Security → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
- Attack surface
- Network
- Privileges required
- Low: a basic authenticated account is required
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
- Security boundary
- Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
- Weakness
?
CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness. - CWE-602 ↗
CWE-602: Client-Side Enforcement of Server-Side Security. The product is composed of a server that relies on the client to implement a mechanism that is intended to protect the server.
- CVSS vector
?
CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity. CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:NCommon Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.
AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.PRLowPrivileges required: The attacker needs basic user-level privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CLowConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.INoneIntegrity impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.ANoneAvailability impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.- Post-exploitation / living off the land
- No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
03
Patch and workaround
Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.
- Status
?
Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change. - Patch available
- Fixed
- Customers running any vulnerable affected level of an affected Program, V11.5, and V12.1, can download the security update containing the interim fix for this issue from Fix Central. These security updates are available based on the most recent level for each impacted release: V11.5.9, V12.1.4 and V12.1.5. They can be applied to any affected level of the appropriate release to remediate this vulnerability.
- ReleaseFixed in mod packAPARDownload URLV11.5TBD https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7087189
- V12.1
- TBD
- https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7267513
- Security Update #88454 or later for V12.1.5 available at this link:
- https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7282633
- IBM does not disclose key Db2 functionality nor replication steps for a vulnerability to avoid providing too much information to any potential malicious attacker. IBM does not want to enable a malicious attacker with sufficient knowledge to craft an exploit of the vulnerability.
- Action
- Review the linked authoritative reference and apply the recorded fixed release appropriate to the affected product branch.
- Workaround
- No verified workaround is recorded. If business-safe, reduce exposure to the affected interface and allow only trusted sources until authoritative guidance is available.
Official vendor articles1 stored document
Linked articles are downloaded and versioned as source evidence. A CVE mention or approved update relationship does not, by itself, verify a fix for every product branch.
- Security Bulletin: IBM® Db2® is affected by an improper authorization vulnerability in the certain command, allowing a non-privileged user to bypass authority checks and modify database catalog data. (CVE-2026-16480) →Original publisher ↗Searchable text snapshot · Captured 27 Sep 2026IBM Support No results were found for your search query. Tips To return expected results, you can: Reduce the number of search terms. Each term you use focuses the search further. Check your spelling. A single misspelled or incorrectly typed term can change your result. Try substituting synonyms for your original ter
04
Evidence and provenance
Published 12 Aug 2026 · Last source change 13 Aug 2026, 13:42 UTC · CWE-602 · Client-Side Enforcement of Server-Side Security
CVE recordCVE.org · 5.2
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
?
The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-57620
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD enriched
Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.
Material change intelligence
View recent updates ↗What changed after publication
- Vendor guidanceAuthoritative vendor guidance changed: added vendor advisory: ibm.com/7282951.psirt@us.ibm.com ↗
- Before
- no authoritative guidance recorded
- After
- vendor advisory: ibm.com/7282951
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
- CVE
- Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
- CVSS
- Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
- EPSS
- Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
- CWE
- Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
- CNA
- CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
- CISA ADP
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
- NVD
- National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
- CERT / CSIRT
- A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
- PoC
- Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
- CSAF
- Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
- LoTL
- Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.