CVE-2011-2262 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the MySQL Server component in Oracle MySQL 5.1.x and 5.5.x allows remote attackers to affect availability via unknown vectors.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/23/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2262 represents a critical availability threat within Oracle MySQL Server versions 5.1.x and 5.5.x. This unspecified weakness resides within the MySQL Server component and presents a significant risk to database availability and system stability. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to potentially disrupt service availability without requiring authentication or specific privileges, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where database uptime is critical for business operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from an unspecified flaw within MySQL Server's processing mechanisms that can be exploited remotely to cause system instability or complete service disruption. While the exact technical details remain unspecified, such vulnerabilities typically involve memory corruption issues, denial of service conditions, or resource exhaustion scenarios that can be triggered through carefully crafted network requests. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability suggests it may involve complex interactions between multiple subsystems within the MySQL server architecture, potentially involving protocol handling, query processing, or connection management components that are commonly targeted in database server attacks.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations relying on MySQL databases for critical business operations. Remote exploitation can result in complete database service outages, requiring manual intervention to restore system functionality and potentially causing significant business disruption. The availability impact is particularly severe since attackers can trigger these conditions without authentication, meaning that any system exposed to network traffic could be vulnerable to exploitation. Organizations may experience data unavailability, application downtime, and potential financial losses due to service interruptions that this vulnerability can cause.
Security professionals should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability. Immediate remediation involves applying the appropriate Oracle security patches and updates that address the specific flaw in MySQL Server versions 5.1.x and 5.5.x. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to MySQL services where possible, limiting the attack surface for remote exploitation attempts. Monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect unusual connection patterns or service disruptions that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should maintain comprehensive backup and recovery procedures to ensure rapid restoration of database services in case of successful exploitation, as outlined in standard incident response protocols and security frameworks.
This vulnerability aligns with several cybersecurity frameworks including CWE categories related to resource management and availability issues, and may map to ATT&CK techniques involving denial of service and service disruption. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability highlights the importance of comprehensive security testing and regular patch management practices to prevent exploitation of unknown weaknesses in database server software. Organizations should maintain continuous monitoring and vulnerability assessment programs to identify and remediate similar issues before they can be exploited by malicious actors in the broader threat landscape.