CVE-2016-3492 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle MySQL 5.5.51 and earlier, 5.6.32 and earlier, and 5.7.14 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to affect availability via vectors related to Server: Optimizer.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/27/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3492 represents a critical availability issue within Oracle MySQL database systems across multiple version ranges including 5.5.51 and earlier, 5.6.32 and earlier, and 5.7.14 and earlier. This flaw resides within the Server Optimizer component of the MySQL database engine, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by authenticated remote attackers who possess valid credentials to compromise system availability. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability details suggests that it involves a specific condition or sequence of operations within the optimizer module that leads to system instability or denial of service conditions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through carefully crafted database operations that trigger malformed behavior within the MySQL Server's query optimization process. When authenticated users execute specific queries or operations that interact with the optimizer component, the system may enter an unstable state that results in service disruption or complete system unavailability. This type of vulnerability typically involves memory corruption, infinite loops, or resource exhaustion conditions that can be induced through strategic query construction. The impact is particularly severe because it affects the core database functionality and can be leveraged to deny legitimate users access to critical database services.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for database environments that rely on MySQL for mission-critical applications. The ability for authenticated users to cause availability disruption means that attackers with valid login credentials can potentially bring down database services, affecting business operations and data accessibility. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-119 which addresses memory safety issues and potentially relates to ATT&CK technique T1499 which covers network denial of service attacks. Organizations using affected MySQL versions face the risk of extended downtime, data access interruptions, and potential financial losses due to service unavailability.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2016-3492 requires immediate patching of affected MySQL installations to the latest supported versions that contain fixes for the optimizer-related issues. System administrators should implement comprehensive monitoring to detect unusual database behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, access controls should be strengthened to limit database access to authorized personnel only, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify potential exploitation vectors. Organizations should also maintain detailed incident response procedures specifically addressing database availability issues and consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions to detect anomalous query patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping database systems updated with the latest security patches to prevent exploitation of known weaknesses in core database components.