CVE-2013-1552 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle MySQL 5.1.67 and earlier and 5.5.29 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-1552 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle MySQL database systems affecting multiple version ranges including 5.1.67 and earlier releases as well as 5.5.29 and earlier versions. This unspecified vulnerability resides within the core database engine and presents a significant risk to organizations relying on MySQL for their data management infrastructure. The vulnerability's classification as remote authenticated means that attackers who have gained legitimate database access credentials can exploit this weakness to compromise the fundamental security properties of the system. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vectors indicates that the exact technical mechanism remains undisclosed, which is common with certain types of database security flaws that may involve complex interactions between multiple system components.
The technical implications of CVE-2013-1552 extend across all three core security principles defined by the CIA triad. Attackers with authenticated access can potentially manipulate database confidentiality by accessing sensitive information through unauthorized data retrieval mechanisms. The integrity aspect becomes compromised when malicious actors can modify or corrupt database records, potentially leading to data manipulation that could go undetected for extended periods. Availability is similarly at risk as the vulnerability may enable denial-of-service conditions or system instability that could prevent legitimate users from accessing critical database resources. This multi-faceted impact demonstrates the severity of the vulnerability and its potential to cause widespread disruption across database-dependent applications.
From an operational standpoint, organizations running affected MySQL versions face substantial risk exposure due to the nature of database systems being central to business operations. The remote authenticated attack vector suggests that insider threats or compromised legitimate user accounts could exploit this vulnerability, making detection particularly challenging. The impact extends beyond simple data breaches to include potential system-wide service disruption and data corruption that could affect business continuity. Database administrators must consider the possibility of this vulnerability being exploited in conjunction with other attack vectors, potentially creating cascading security failures within enterprise environments.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as potentially aligning with CWE-119 which addresses weaknesses in memory management and buffer overflows, though the specific mechanism remains unspecified. The vulnerability may also relate to ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation, as the requirement for authenticated access suggests exploitation through compromised legitimate credentials. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems and implementation of additional monitoring controls to detect potential exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and principle of least privilege access controls become critical defensive measures, while comprehensive audit logging should be implemented to track database activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining current security patches and conducting regular vulnerability assessments of database infrastructure components to prevent similar issues from compromising organizational security postures.