CVE-2014-6495 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle MySQL Server 5.5.38 and earlier, and 5.6.19 and earlier, allows remote attackers to affect availability via vectors related to SERVER:SSL:yaSSL.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6495 represents a critical availability threat within Oracle MySQL Server implementations that affects multiple version ranges including 5.5.38 and earlier, as well as 5.6.19 and earlier versions. This issue specifically targets the server component's interaction with SSL cryptographic libraries, particularly those utilizing yaSSL implementations. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability description indicates that the exact technical mechanism remains undisclosed but clearly demonstrates a significant weakness in the database server's security architecture that could be exploited by remote attackers without requiring authentication credentials. The vulnerability's classification as affecting availability rather than confidentiality or integrity suggests that attackers could potentially disrupt database services through this weakness, leading to denial of service conditions that would prevent legitimate users from accessing critical database resources.
The technical flaw resides in the SSL processing subsystem of MySQL Server when utilizing yaSSL cryptographic libraries for secure communications. This weakness manifests during SSL handshake procedures and certificate validation processes, where malformed or specially crafted SSL packets could trigger unexpected behavior in the underlying cryptographic library. The vulnerability likely stems from insufficient input validation or memory handling within the SSL implementation, creating opportunities for attackers to send malicious data that causes the server process to crash or become unresponsive. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could leverage network-based attacks that do not require prior authentication, making the threat particularly dangerous for database servers exposed to untrusted networks. The yaSSL library implementation appears to lack proper error handling mechanisms for specific SSL protocol variations or edge cases that could be triggered through crafted network traffic.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-6495 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise entire database infrastructure availability. Organizations running affected MySQL versions could experience complete service outages during attack windows, resulting in significant business disruption and potential data access limitations. The vulnerability affects database servers that rely on SSL encryption for secure communications, which represents a substantial portion of production database environments. Network administrators may observe sudden service failures, connection timeouts, or complete server crashes that correlate with the exploitation attempts. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries could target vulnerable systems from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access or local network presence, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for publicly accessible database servers. Organizations may face compliance issues and service level agreement violations due to the availability impact of this vulnerability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-6495 should prioritize immediate patching of affected MySQL Server installations to the latest available versions that contain fixes for the SSL processing flaws. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of database servers to untrusted networks while maintaining the necessary security measures. Monitoring for unusual connection patterns or service disruptions should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts. The implementation of intrusion detection systems capable of identifying malicious SSL traffic patterns can provide additional protection layers. Security teams should also consider temporarily disabling SSL functionality on affected systems while applying permanent patches, though this approach may impact legitimate database operations. Regular vulnerability assessments and security audits should be conducted to identify other potential weaknesses in database server configurations. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499 which covers network denial of service attacks, and CWE-121 which addresses buffer overflow conditions that could lead to availability compromise. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure rapid identification and remediation of similar vulnerabilities in their database infrastructure.