CVE-2025-36384: IBM Db2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows · Unquoted Search Path or Element
Affects IBM Db2 for Linux, UNIX and WindowsSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.4 High.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 7% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 30 Jan 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| IBMDb2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows | Affected
| Fixed in– |
CPE configurations (2)
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:db2:12.1.0:*:*:*:*:windows:*:*cpe:2.3:a:ibm:db2:12.1.3:*:*:*:*:windows:*:*
AI-suggested
To mitigate CVE-2025-36384 effectively, organizations should: 1) Monitor IBM security advisories and apply official patches or updates as soon as they become available to correct the unquoted search path issue. 2) In the interim, review and manually correct unquoted search path elements in Db2 startup scripts and related executables by properly quoting paths containing spaces. 3) Restrict local filesystem permissions to limit which users can write to directories included in the search path, preventing malicious executable placement. 4) Implement strict access controls and monitoring on systems running Db2 to detect unauthorized local access attempts. 5) Employ application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized binaries. 6) Conduct regular security audits of Db2 environments focusing on privilege escalation vectors. 7) Educate system administrators about the risks of unquoted search paths and enforce secure coding and deployment practices. 8) Consider isolating Db2 servers in segmented network zones to reduce exposure to local attackers. These steps combined will reduce the attack surface and protect against exploitation until patches are deployed.
Description
IBM Db2 for Windows 12.1.0 - 12.1.3 could allow a local user with filesystem access to escalate their privileges due to the use of an unquoted search path element.