CVE-2024-39724 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-770, which relates to the allocation of resources without proper limits or throttling. Specifically, IBM Db2 Big SQL versions 7.6 on Cloud Pak for Data 4.8, 7.7 on Cloud Pak for Data 5.0, and 7.8 on Cloud Pak for Data 5.1 do not adequately restrict how system resources are allocated during operation. This flaw allows an authenticated user who has internal knowledge of the system—such as a legitimate user with some elevated privileges or familiarity with the environment—to consume excessive resources, leading to a denial of service condition. The vulnerability affects availability by potentially exhausting CPU, memory, or other critical resources, causing service degradation or outages. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.3 (medium severity), reflecting that the attack vector is network-based, requires low privileges, no user interaction, and impacts availability only. No confidentiality or integrity impacts are noted. The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed but currently lacks associated patches or known exploits in the wild. Organizations running these specific IBM Db2 Big SQL versions on Cloud Pak for Data should be aware of the risk of resource exhaustion attacks that could disrupt database availability and dependent applications.

For European organizations, the primary impact is on the availability of critical data analytics and processing services that rely on IBM Db2 Big SQL on Cloud Pak for Data. A successful exploitation could cause denial of service, interrupting business operations, data processing workflows, and potentially impacting decision-making processes. Industries such as finance, telecommunications, manufacturing, and public sector entities that use IBM’s Cloud Pak for Data platform for large-scale data analytics could face operational disruptions. While confidentiality and integrity are not directly affected, the loss of availability can lead to significant financial losses, regulatory compliance issues, and reputational damage. Additionally, the requirement for an authenticated user with internal knowledge means insider threats or compromised credentials pose a higher risk. The absence of patches increases the urgency for interim mitigations to prevent exploitation.

1. Implement strict access controls and monitoring to limit authenticated user privileges, especially for users with internal system knowledge. 2. Monitor resource usage patterns closely to detect abnormal spikes that could indicate exploitation attempts. 3. Use rate limiting or resource quotas if supported by the platform to prevent any single user or process from consuming excessive resources. 4. Segregate duties and enforce least privilege principles to reduce the number of users who can trigger resource-intensive operations. 5. Regularly review and audit user activities and system logs for signs of misuse or attempts to exploit resource allocation. 6. Engage with IBM support and subscribe to security advisories to obtain patches or workarounds as soon as they become available. 7. Consider deploying additional infrastructure redundancy or failover mechanisms to maintain service availability during potential DoS events. 8. Educate internal users about the risks of resource misuse and enforce policies to prevent accidental or malicious resource exhaustion.