CVE-2023-38720Network attack vector

Database interruption via crafted ALTER TABLE statement

Published Oct 16, 2023 · Updated Jun 12, 2025

Denial of service in IBM Db2 11.1.4.x and 11.5.x allows remote authenticated users to interrupt the database via a crafted ALTER TABLE statement. IBM has not disclosed the affected code path or how the statement triggers the failure, withholding replication details to limit exploit development. The attack requires low-privileged database access and high-complexity conditions, and the reported consequence is an availability interruption only.

CVSS severity5.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.78%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial of service in IBM Db2 11.1.4.x and 11.5.x allows remote authenticated users to interrupt the database via a crafted ALTER TABLE statement. IBM has not disclosed the affected code path or how the statement triggers the failure, withholding replication details to limit exploit development. The attack requires low-privileged database access and high-complexity conditions, and the reported consequence is an availability interruption only.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-38720
Published
Oct 16, 2023
Updated
Jun 12, 2025
Vendor
IBM
Product
IBM Db2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 16, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jun 12, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=11.1 ,11.5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

IBM · IBM Db2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windowsversion=11.1 ,11.5

Published CVSS scores

5.3IBM CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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