CVE-2014-6505 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 authenticated users to affect availability via vectors related to SERVER:MEMORY STORAGE ENGINE.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6505 represents a critical availability threat within Oracle MySQL Server versions 5.5.38 and earlier, as well as 5.6.19 and earlier. This flaw specifically targets the SERVER:MEMORY STORAGE ENGINE component of the database system, enabling remote authenticated attackers to disrupt service availability. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability details suggests a complex underlying issue that affects the memory storage engine's handling of database operations and resource management.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies within the MySQL Server's memory storage engine which utilizes volatile memory for data storage and retrieval operations. When authenticated users exploit this weakness, they can manipulate the memory engine's behavior to cause system instability or complete service disruption. The memory storage engine operates differently from traditional disk-based storage engines, managing data entirely within RAM, which makes it particularly susceptible to memory exhaustion or corruption attacks. This vulnerability exploits the engine's resource management mechanisms, potentially leading to denial of service conditions that affect database availability.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to database availability and system reliability. Remote authenticated attackers who can establish connections to the MySQL server can leverage this flaw to cause service disruption without requiring administrative privileges or complex exploitation techniques. The memory storage engine's behavior during the attack can result in database crashes, connection terminations, or complete server unavailability. Organizations relying on MySQL databases for critical applications face potential business disruptions, data access issues, and service level agreement violations when this vulnerability is exploited.
The attack vector specifically targets the SERVER:MEMORY STORAGE ENGINE, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks and follows CWE-400 pattern for unchecked resource consumption. This vulnerability demonstrates how storage engine implementations can become attack surfaces when proper resource management and input validation are lacking. The authentication requirement reduces the attack surface compared to unauthenticated vulnerabilities but still represents a significant risk since legitimate users with appropriate credentials can exploit this weakness.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-6505 primarily focus on upgrading to patched versions of Oracle MySQL Server. Organizations should immediately implement version updates to MySQL 5.5.39 or 5.6.20 and later, which contain the necessary fixes for this memory storage engine vulnerability. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and access controls can limit the exposure of database servers to unauthorized users. Database administrators should also monitor memory usage patterns and implement resource limits for memory storage engine operations to reduce the potential impact if exploitation occurs. Regular patch management processes and vulnerability assessments should be enhanced to identify similar weaknesses in other storage engine implementations and database components.