CVE-2014-2440 in MySQL Client
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the MySQL Client component in Oracle MySQL 5.5.36 and earlier and 5.6.16 and earlier allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/11/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-2440 resides within the MySQL Client component of Oracle MySQL database systems, affecting versions 5.5.36 and earlier, as well as 5.6.16 and earlier. This unspecified weakness represents a critical security flaw that could potentially be exploited by remote attackers to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems. The lack of specific details in the initial description suggests that this vulnerability may encompass multiple attack vectors or that the full scope of the flaw was not immediately apparent during the initial reporting phase.
The technical nature of this vulnerability lies within the client-side processing mechanisms of MySQL, where improper handling of certain input parameters or network communications could lead to arbitrary code execution or data manipulation. Given that this affects the client component specifically, attackers could potentially exploit this weakness through maliciously crafted database connections or malformed data packets that are processed by the MySQL client library. The vulnerability's impact extends across all three fundamental principles of information security, indicating that successful exploitation could result in unauthorized data access, data corruption, or service disruption.
From an operational perspective, systems utilizing affected MySQL client versions face significant risk exposure, particularly in environments where database connectivity is frequent and network traffic is not adequately monitored or filtered. The remote attack vector suggests that this vulnerability could be exploited from outside the local network perimeter, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with publicly accessible database services or applications that connect to remote databases. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as potentially enabling advanced persistent threats where attackers could establish footholds for further lateral movement within network environments.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-2440 primarily involve upgrading to patched versions of Oracle MySQL, specifically those beyond the affected releases mentioned in the vulnerability description. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all MySQL client installations are updated promptly. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit exposure of database systems to untrusted networks. Additionally, monitoring for anomalous database connection patterns or unusual data access behaviors can help detect potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-119 which deals with improper access to memory, and may map to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and defense evasion through database manipulation. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar client-side vulnerabilities that could compromise database security postures.