CVE-2012-5612 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Heap-based buffer overflow in Oracle MySQL 5.5.19 and other versions through 5.5.28, and MariaDB 5.5.28a and possibly other versions, allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (memory corruption and crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code, as demonstrated using certain variations of the (1) USE, (2) SHOW TABLES, (3) DESCRIBE, (4) SHOW FIELDS FROM, (5) SHOW COLUMNS FROM, (6) SHOW INDEX FROM, (7) CREATE TABLE, (8) DROP TABLE, (9) ALTER TABLE, (10) DELETE FROM, (11) UPDATE, and (12) SET PASSWORD commands.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/03/2024
The heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5612 represents a critical security flaw affecting Oracle MySQL versions 5.5.19 through 5.5.28 and MariaDB versions 5.5.28a and potentially other variants. This vulnerability resides within the database management system's handling of specific SQL commands and operates through a heap memory corruption mechanism that can be exploited by authenticated remote attackers. The flaw manifests when the database processes certain variations of fundamental database operations, creating conditions where attacker-controlled input can overwrite adjacent heap memory regions, leading to unpredictable behavior and system instability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper bounds checking during the processing of database metadata queries and administrative commands. When MySQL or MariaDB encounters commands such as USE, SHOW TABLES, DESCRIBE, or various table manipulation operations, the system allocates heap memory for processing these requests without adequate validation of input lengths or buffer boundaries. This allows an authenticated user to craft malicious input sequences that exceed the allocated buffer space, causing memory corruption that can result in program crashes or potentially arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability specifically targets heap memory structures used for storing database metadata and query results, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect core database operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-5612 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable remote code execution, making it a severe threat to database security infrastructure. An attacker with valid database credentials can leverage this vulnerability to crash database servers, causing service interruptions that may result in significant business disruption and data availability issues. The potential for arbitrary code execution adds another dimension of risk, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain elevated privileges within the database environment, potentially leading to data theft, modification, or complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects multiple database operations simultaneously, increasing the attack surface and making it more difficult to defend against through simple input validation measures.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as mapping to CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions in programming environments, and aligns with ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and denial of service operations. The vulnerability's exploitation requires only authenticated access to the database system, making it particularly concerning as it can be leveraged by insiders or compromised legitimate users. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches, restricting database user privileges to minimize potential impact, and monitoring for suspicious database activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Database administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential blast radius of successful attacks, while maintaining regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar memory corruption issues in other database components and applications.