CVE-2013-2389 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle MySQL 5.1.68 and earlier, 5.5.30 and earlier, and 5.6.10 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to affect availability via unknown vectors related to InnoDB.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-2389 represents a critical availability threat within Oracle MySQL database systems affecting multiple version streams including 5.1.68 and earlier, 5.5.30 and earlier, and 5.6.10 and earlier releases. This unspecified flaw resides within the InnoDB storage engine component, which serves as MySQL's default transactional database engine responsible for handling data integrity and transactional operations. The vulnerability specifically targets authenticated remote users who can exploit this weakness to disrupt system availability, potentially leading to denial of service conditions that impact database accessibility and application functionality.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the InnoDB storage engine's handling of specific database operations that can trigger unexpected behavior when processed by the database management system. While the exact vector remains unspecified in the initial description, such vulnerabilities typically arise from improper input validation, memory management issues, or resource handling problems within the database engine. The fact that this affects multiple version streams indicates a fundamental flaw in the InnoDB implementation that was not adequately addressed across the affected release lines, suggesting either a complex underlying issue or a systemic problem in the codebase that required patching across different MySQL branches.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to organizations relying on MySQL databases for critical business operations. Remote authenticated users who can establish connections to the database server can potentially cause system instability, leading to database crashes, service interruptions, or complete unavailability of database resources. The authenticated requirement means that attackers must already possess valid credentials or have gained access to legitimate user accounts, but this does not significantly reduce the threat level given that database administrators often maintain multiple accounts with varying privilege levels. The availability impact can cascade through applications that depend on these databases, potentially causing widespread service disruption across dependent systems and business processes.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected MySQL installations to address this vulnerability, as the risk of exploitation increases with the number of authenticated users with access to the database system. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of patched versions in staging environments before deployment to production systems to ensure compatibility with existing applications. Security teams should also implement monitoring for unusual database activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around InnoDB-related operations. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and access controls can help limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities by restricting unauthorized access to database systems. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-119 which addresses improper restriction of operations within a memory buffer, and may map to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation or denial of service through database manipulation. Organizations should also consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous behavior patterns associated with database engine exploitation attempts.