[Rpm-maint] [rpm-software-management/rpm] Newer rpm can't read older rpm database (Issue #2426)

[Craig Andrews]

While debugging https://github.com/OpenSCAP/openscap/issues/1942 I discovered that a newer version of rpm cannot read older rpm databases. I expected this to work, as I thought rpm was backwards compatible in this way and I haven't been able to find documentation that says otherwise.

I did some testing on my Fedora 37 system using:
```sh
ID="$(podman create $IMAGE)" && DIR="$(podman mount $ID)" && rpm --root "$DIR" -q bash && podman rm -f "$ID"
```

* `registry.fedoraproject.org/fedora:37` (This is a sanity check)
Result:
`bash-5.2.15-1.fc37.x86_64`

* `registry.fedoraproject.org/fedora:36`
Result:
`bash-5.2.15-1.fc36.x86_64`

* `registry.fedoraproject.org/fedora:35`
Result:
`package bash is not installed`

* `registry.access.redhat.com/ubi9/ubi:latest`
Result:
`package bash is not installed`

* `registry.access.redhat.com/ubi8/ubi:latest`
Result:
`package bash is not installed`

* `registry.access.redhat.com/ubi7/ubi:latest`
Result:
`package bash is not installed`

What is the expectation for rpm backwards compatibility? Is this lack of backwards compatibility intentional or is this a bug in the rpm version included in fedora 37? Is there a way to enable rpm to read these older databases to enable openscap run on a newer version of Red Hat / Fedora to scan an older Red Hat / Fedora system / VM / image?

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