CVE-2014-6568 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle MySQL Server 5.5.40 and earlier, and 5.6.21 and earlier, allows remote authenticated users to affect availability via vectors related to Server : InnoDB : DML.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/05/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6568 represents a critical availability threat within Oracle MySQL Server implementations across multiple version ranges including 5.5.40 and earlier, as well as 5.6.21 and earlier. This weakness resides within the Server component specifically affecting InnoDB storage engine operations related to Data Manipulation Language activities. The vulnerability classification places it within the realm of denial of service attacks that can be executed by authenticated remote attackers who possess valid credentials to access the database system. The affected MySQL versions demonstrate a fundamental flaw in how the InnoDB storage engine processes certain DML operations, creating potential pathways for attackers to disrupt normal system operations and compromise service availability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and error handling mechanisms within the InnoDB storage engine's DML processing pipeline. When authenticated users execute specific database operations, particularly those involving complex data manipulation scenarios, the system fails to properly handle edge cases or malformed inputs that can trigger unexpected behavior in the storage engine. This flaw manifests as a condition where the database server may become unresponsive or crash entirely, effectively rendering the database service unavailable to legitimate users. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple performance degradation to full service disruption, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where database availability is critical for business operations.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations relying on MySQL databases for critical applications and services. The remote authenticated nature of the attack means that attackers who have gained valid user credentials can exploit this weakness without requiring physical access or additional privileges. The attack vector specifically targets InnoDB DML operations which are fundamental to database functionality, making the impact widespread across various database activities including inserts, updates, deletes, and complex transactional operations. Organizations may experience service interruptions, data access failures, and potential data loss scenarios during exploitation attempts, particularly in environments where database downtime directly affects business continuity and customer satisfaction.
Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability in the context of established frameworks such as CWE-119 which addresses weakness in which the software has a buffer overflow or memory corruption issue, and ATT&CK technique T1499 which covers network denial of service attacks. The vulnerability's classification aligns with these frameworks as it represents an availability-focused attack that leverages legitimate database operations to cause system instability. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Oracle security patches, implementing network segmentation to limit database access, and establishing monitoring protocols to detect unusual database behavior patterns. Additionally, database administrators should consider implementing access controls and privilege management to minimize the attack surface, as the vulnerability requires authenticated access to exploit effectively. The remediation process should also include comprehensive testing of patched environments to ensure that the fix does not introduce compatibility issues with existing applications or database configurations.