CVE-2016-0600 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle MySQL 5.5.46 and earlier, 5.6.27 and earlier, and 5.7.9 allows remote authenticated users to affect availability via unknown vectors related to InnoDB.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0600 represents a critical availability threat within Oracle MySQL database systems affecting multiple version branches including 5.5.46 and earlier, 5.6.27 and earlier, and 5.7.9. This weakness resides within the InnoDB storage engine component which serves as the default transactional storage engine for MySQL databases. The vulnerability specifically impacts authenticated remote attackers who can leverage this flaw to disrupt database availability, potentially leading to complete system unavailability and service disruption for legitimate users. The unspecified nature of the exact attack vectors makes this vulnerability particularly concerning as it may encompass multiple exploitation techniques that could be discovered and weaponized over time.
The technical foundation of this vulnerability lies within the InnoDB storage engine's handling of database operations and memory management. InnoDB's complex architecture involves multiple components including buffer pools, log files, and transaction handling mechanisms that interact in sophisticated ways. When an authenticated user with appropriate privileges can trigger an availability issue through InnoDB-related operations, it typically indicates a flaw in how the engine processes certain database requests or manages internal resources. This could manifest as thread starvation, memory exhaustion, or corruption of critical InnoDB structures that maintain database integrity and accessibility. The vulnerability's classification as affecting availability rather than confidentiality or integrity suggests that attackers can cause denial-of-service conditions rather than directly accessing or modifying data.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to database-dependent applications and services that rely on MySQL for data persistence. Organizations running affected MySQL versions face potential business disruption when attackers exploit this flaw, as database availability becomes compromised and can affect downstream applications that depend on database connectivity. The authenticated requirement means that attackers must already have valid database credentials, which reduces the attack surface compared to unauthenticated vulnerabilities but does not eliminate the threat since legitimate users with compromised accounts or privileged users could be exploited. This vulnerability could be particularly damaging in environments where database availability is critical for business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, service degradation, and reputational damage.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate patching of affected MySQL installations to address this vulnerability. The remediation strategy should involve upgrading to MySQL versions that have been patched to address the InnoDB-related availability issues. Organizations should conduct thorough testing of patches in staging environments before deployment to ensure compatibility with existing applications and database configurations. Network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to minimize the potential impact of compromised accounts, while monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect unusual database behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with attack patterns documented in the attack tree model where authenticated access serves as a prerequisite for exploitation, making proper access control and credential management essential defensive measures. This weakness is categorized under CWE-119 which deals with improper restriction of operations within a recognized security boundary, and may map to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and denial-of-service attacks that leverage database system vulnerabilities.