CVE-2017-3305 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the MySQL Server component of Oracle MySQL (subcomponent: Server: C API). Supported versions that are affected are 5.5.55 and earlier and 5.6.35 and earlier. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via multiple protocols to compromise MySQL Server. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all MySQL Server accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 5.3 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N). NOTE: the previous information is from the April 2017 CPU. Oracle has not commented on third-party claims that this issue allows man-in-the-middle attackers to hijack the authentication of users by leveraging incorrect ordering of security parameter verification in a client, aka, "The Riddle".
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/20/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3305 resides within the MySQL Server component, specifically within the Server: C API subcomponent, affecting a range of MySQL versions including 5.5.55 and earlier, as well as 5.6.35 and earlier. This flaw represents a significant security weakness that operates at the intersection of network protocol handling and authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability's classification as difficult to exploit indicates that while it requires specific conditions to be met, the potential impact is severe enough to warrant immediate attention from security professionals.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from incorrect ordering of security parameter verification within the client authentication process, a flaw that aligns with CWE-284 Access Control issues and potentially CWE-310 Cryptographic Issues. The vulnerability's designation as "The Riddle" by third-party researchers highlights its deceptive nature, where attackers can leverage this misordering to hijack user authentications. This misconfiguration allows an attacker with low privileges and network access via multiple protocols to compromise the MySQL server, effectively undermining the authentication process. The CVSS 3.0 scoring of 5.3 reflects the moderate severity of the confidentiality impact, with the vector AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N indicating network-based access requirements, high attack complexity, low privilege requirements, and a complete confidentiality impact.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data access, as successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all data accessible through the MySQL server. This represents a severe compromise of data confidentiality and potentially exposes sensitive information to unauthorized parties. The vulnerability's ability to facilitate man-in-the-middle attacks through authentication hijacking creates a particularly dangerous scenario where attackers can impersonate legitimate users and gain access to databases without proper credentials. This threat model aligns with ATT&CK technique T1550.001 Use Alternate Authentication Material, where adversaries leverage stolen or compromised authentication credentials to access systems.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through patching affected MySQL versions to address this vulnerability, as the potential for unauthorized data access makes this issue particularly dangerous in production environments. The vulnerability's network accessibility and the requirement for only low privileges to exploit make it a prime target for automated attacks. Security teams should also implement network monitoring to detect unusual authentication patterns or potential man-in-the-middle activity that could indicate exploitation attempts. Additional mitigations include implementing network segmentation, enforcing strong authentication controls, and regularly auditing database access logs to identify potential unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper security parameter ordering in authentication flows and the potential consequences of even subtle implementation flaws in cryptographic and authentication systems.