CVE-2016-5612 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle MySQL 5.5.50 and earlier, 5.6.31 and earlier, and 5.7.13 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to affect availability via vectors related to DML.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/27/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5612 represents a critical availability issue within Oracle MySQL database systems affecting multiple version streams including 5.5.50 and earlier, 5.6.31 and earlier, and 5.7.13 and earlier releases. This vulnerability specifically impacts the Data Manipulation Language functionality within the database engine, creating potential for remote authenticated attackers to disrupt system availability. The unspecified nature of the exact flaw mechanism suggests a fundamental weakness in how MySQL processes certain DML operations that could be exploited over network connections by users who have already established authentication credentials.
The technical flaw manifests through vectors related to DML operations which form the core of database interaction patterns involving insert, update, and delete commands. When authenticated users leverage these specific DML pathways, the vulnerability can cause the MySQL service to become unresponsive or crash entirely, thereby compromising the availability aspect of the database system's core security triad. This weakness operates at the protocol and execution level where legitimate database operations can be manipulated to trigger system instability, potentially leading to complete service disruption for database clients and applications dependent on the affected MySQL instances.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to database availability and business continuity operations. Organizations running affected MySQL versions face potential downtime scenarios where database services may become unavailable for extended periods, affecting all applications and systems dependent on the database infrastructure. The remote nature of the attack vector means that exploitation can occur from external networks without requiring physical access to the database server, making it particularly dangerous for publicly accessible database instances. The authenticated requirement reduces the attack surface compared to fully unauthenticated exploits but still represents a serious threat since legitimate users with database access can potentially cause service disruption.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400 which classifies weaknesses related to resource management and availability issues, specifically addressing problems where system resources can be consumed or corrupted through improper handling of input data. This particular weakness falls under the broader category of denial of service vulnerabilities that can be triggered by crafted database operations. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under the T1499 sub-technique for network denial of service, where attackers leverage legitimate system functionality to cause availability disruption. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit potential exploitation paths, while also prioritizing immediate patch deployment to address the underlying MySQL codebase vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-5612 should focus on immediate patching of affected MySQL installations to the latest available versions that contain the relevant security fixes. Database administrators should also implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual DML operation patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while maintaining comprehensive audit logging of database activities to track potential abuse of legitimate authenticated access. Network-level controls including firewall rules and access control lists should be reviewed to limit unnecessary database exposure and restrict access to only essential administrative and application connections. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their database environments to identify any other potentially affected systems and ensure proper baseline configurations are maintained across all MySQL installations.