CVE-2013-2392 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 Server Optimizer.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-2392 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. This issue resides within the Server Optimizer component of the MySQL database engine, which is responsible for query execution planning and optimization. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vectors suggests that the flaw may manifest through multiple attack pathways within the optimizer subsystem, making it particularly challenging to predict and defend against. The vulnerability requires remote authenticated access, meaning that an attacker must first establish valid credentials to exploit the weakness, though this does not significantly reduce the threat level given the potential for privilege escalation or credential compromise through other attack vectors.
The technical flaw within the Server Optimizer component stems from inadequate input validation or memory handling mechanisms that can be triggered by specially crafted SQL queries or optimization requests. When an authenticated user submits maliciously constructed queries that exploit weaknesses in the optimizer's logic or memory management, the system may experience unexpected behavior including resource exhaustion, stack corruption, or process termination. This type of vulnerability typically falls under the category of denial of service conditions where the targeted system becomes unavailable to legitimate users. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as the vulnerability may allow attackers to cause database crashes, restarts, or other forms of system instability that can result in data unavailability and potential loss of service for critical business applications relying on MySQL databases.
From an operational perspective, the vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations maintaining MySQL installations in production environments where database availability is paramount for business continuity. The authenticated requirement does not provide sufficient protection since database administrators often maintain multiple user accounts with varying privilege levels, and compromised credentials can provide attackers with the necessary access to exploit this vulnerability. Organizations running affected MySQL versions face potential business disruption, service degradation, and increased operational overhead as they must implement emergency patches or workarounds while monitoring for exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's presence in multiple version streams means that organizations across different MySQL release channels require coordinated patch management efforts to ensure complete protection.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-2392 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from Oracle, which would address the underlying optimizer flaws through code modifications and improved input validation mechanisms. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the exposure of MySQL instances to untrusted networks while maintaining strict authentication requirements. Database administrators should conduct thorough monitoring for unusual query patterns or resource consumption that may indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on optimization-related activities. Additionally, implementing database firewalls or query filtering mechanisms can help detect and block potentially malicious optimization requests before they reach the vulnerable optimizer component. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service and may also relate to CWE-121 for buffer overflow conditions or CWE-400 for resource exhaustion, emphasizing the multi-faceted nature of the threat. Organizations should also consider implementing comprehensive incident response procedures that specifically address database availability threats, ensuring rapid detection and remediation of similar vulnerabilities in their database infrastructure.