CVE-2014-4214 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the MySQL Server component in Oracle MySQL 5.6.17 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to affect availability via vectors related to SRSP.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/09/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-4214 resides within the MySQL Server component of Oracle MySQL versions 5.6.17 and earlier, representing a significant threat to database availability and system stability. This unspecified weakness specifically impacts the Server component and affects remote authenticated users who can exploit it to compromise system availability. The vulnerability's classification as a server-side issue indicates that it operates at the core database engine level, potentially allowing attackers with valid credentials to disrupt normal database operations and service availability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability is rooted in the SRSP (Server Response Processing) mechanisms within MySQL's architecture. SRSP typically handles how the server processes and responds to client requests, and the flaw likely exists in how the server manages certain response sequences or processing flows. Attackers with authenticated access can leverage this weakness to cause denial of service conditions that impact database availability. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data access restrictions, as it specifically targets the availability aspect of the database system, potentially causing complete service disruption or unresponsiveness.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations relying on MySQL databases, particularly those with remote access capabilities. The fact that it requires authentication but allows remote exploitation means that compromised accounts or legitimate users with elevated privileges could be weaponized to cause availability disruptions. This presents a particular challenge in environments where privileged accounts are necessary for legitimate database operations, as the attack surface expands to include both external and internal threats. The vulnerability's potential for causing system unavailability can result in significant business disruption, data access delays, and service level agreement violations that may impact customer satisfaction and operational continuity.
The attack vector for CVE-2014-4214 aligns with the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and denial of service tactics, where authenticated users can leverage their access to cause availability impacts. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-119 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, which covers weaknesses related to the exploitation of memory handling issues or processing flaws in server components. Organizations should consider implementing comprehensive monitoring solutions to detect unusual patterns in database response processing and establish robust patch management protocols to address this vulnerability. Mitigation strategies include immediate patching of affected MySQL versions, implementation of network segmentation to limit access to database servers, and enhanced monitoring of database availability metrics to quickly identify potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should review their access control policies to ensure that only necessary users have authentication credentials that could potentially exploit this vulnerability, and consider implementing additional layers of database security including intrusion detection systems specifically configured to monitor for availability-related attacks against database servers.