CVE-2006-6948 in MyODBC
Summary
by MITRE
MyODBC Japanese conversion edition 3.51.06, 2.50.29, and 2.50.25 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a certain string in a response, which has unspecified impact on the MySQL database.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/17/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-6948 affects MyODBC Japanese conversion edition versions 3.51.06, 2.50.29, and 2.50.25, representing a significant security flaw in database connectivity software that bridges Microsoft Windows systems with MySQL database servers. This issue resides within the ODBC driver implementation specifically designed for handling Japanese character encoding, which creates a potential attack vector for remote adversaries seeking to disrupt database operations. The vulnerability manifests when the driver receives a specially crafted string within a database response, triggering unexpected behavior that leads to service disruption. From a cybersecurity perspective, this represents a classic buffer manipulation or input validation flaw that can be exploited without requiring authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous in environments where database connectivity is critical for business operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the MyODBC driver's response processing logic, particularly when handling Japanese character sets. When the driver encounters a malformed string in database responses, it fails to properly handle the character encoding conversion process, leading to memory corruption or resource exhaustion that ultimately results in denial of service conditions. This flaw operates at the application layer of the OSI model, specifically within the data access component of database connectivity infrastructure. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple service interruption as it can potentially destabilize the entire database connection, affecting multiple concurrent users and applications that depend on the affected database server. The unspecified impact mentioned in the original description suggests that the flaw may trigger more severe consequences beyond simple denial of service, potentially including data corruption or system instability.
The operational implications of this vulnerability are substantial for organizations relying on MyODBC drivers for database connectivity, particularly those with Japanese language support requirements. Attackers can exploit this weakness to disrupt database services without requiring privileged access, making it an attractive target for malicious actors seeking to cause operational disruption. The vulnerability affects database availability and can impact critical business applications that depend on real-time data access, potentially leading to financial losses and reputational damage. Organizations using affected versions of MyODBC Japanese conversion edition face significant risk exposure, as the flaw can be triggered through legitimate database operations, making detection and prevention challenging. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of input boundaries, and represents a variant of input validation attacks that can be classified under ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-6948 should prioritize immediate software updates and patches from the vendor, as the affected MyODBC versions contain known security flaws that have been addressed in subsequent releases. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of database servers to untrusted networks, reducing the attack surface for remote exploitation attempts. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar issues within the database connectivity stack, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in database drivers. Additionally, implementing database activity monitoring and anomaly detection systems can help identify exploitation attempts before they cause significant disruption. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched drivers in controlled environments before deployment to production systems, ensuring that the update does not introduce compatibility issues with existing applications. Organizations should also consider implementing database firewalls and connection pooling mechanisms to provide additional layers of protection against similar denial of service attacks targeting database connectivity components.