CVE-2017-3306 in MySQL Enterprise Monitor
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the MySQL Enterprise Monitor component of Oracle MySQL (subcomponent: Monitoring: Server). Supported versions that are affected are 3.1.6.8003 and earlier, 3.2.1182 and earlier and 3.3.2.1162 and earlier. Easily "exploitable" vulnerability allows high privileged attacker with network access via multiple protocols to compromise MySQL Enterprise Monitor. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in MySQL Enterprise Monitor, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized creation, deletion or modification access to critical data or all MySQL Enterprise Monitor accessible data as well as unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all MySQL Enterprise Monitor accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of MySQL Enterprise Monitor. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 8.3 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/20/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3306 resides within the MySQL Enterprise Monitor component of Oracle MySQL, specifically within the Monitoring: Server subcomponent. This security flaw affects multiple version ranges including 3.1.6.8003 and earlier, 3.2.1182 and earlier, and 3.3.2.1162 and earlier, representing a significant portion of the enterprise monitoring solution's historical releases. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage this flaw with relatively minimal effort, particularly when targeting systems where the monitor is deployed. The attack vector requires network access via multiple protocols, suggesting that the vulnerability could be exploited across various communication channels that the monitoring system utilizes to interface with database servers and other network components.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls and authentication mechanisms within the MySQL Enterprise Monitor system. As a high privileged attacker, the threat actor must already possess elevated credentials or system access, but the flaw allows them to escalate their privileges or gain unauthorized access to critical monitoring data. The requirement for human interaction from a person other than the attacker indicates that this vulnerability likely involves some form of social engineering component or requires specific user actions to complete the attack chain. This characteristic places the vulnerability in the context of CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and potentially CWE-305 (Authentication Bypass Using Multiple Credentials) categories, where the system fails to properly enforce access restrictions even when legitimate users attempt to access protected resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond the immediate monitoring component, as successful exploitation can compromise not only the MySQL Enterprise Monitor itself but also affect additional products within the broader MySQL ecosystem. The attacker gains unauthorized capabilities to create, delete, or modify critical data within the monitoring system, which could include configuration settings, alert parameters, or collected performance metrics. More severely, the vulnerability enables unauthorized access to all data accessible through the monitoring system, potentially exposing sensitive database information, user credentials, or system configuration details that the monitor collects. Additionally, the partial denial of service capability means that attackers could disrupt monitoring operations, potentially masking other security incidents or preventing administrators from detecting system anomalies. This vulnerability's CVSS 3.0 base score of 8.3 reflects the high severity of confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts, where the confidentiality impact is rated as high due to potential data exposure, integrity impact is high because of modification capabilities, and availability impact is rated as low since the attack primarily focuses on data compromise rather than complete system shutdown.
The attack scenario for CVE-2017-3306 typically involves an attacker who has already gained access to a system with elevated privileges, either through legitimate administrative access or through previous compromises. The attacker then leverages the monitoring component's weak access controls to escalate privileges or gain unauthorized access to monitoring data. The requirement for human interaction suggests that the attack may involve a user performing specific actions, such as clicking on malicious links or executing certain commands, which could be part of a social engineering campaign. This attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and potentially T1566 (Phishing) where attackers use legitimate credentials to access systems and then exploit specific application flaws to extend their access. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring and alerting systems to detect unusual access patterns or modifications to monitoring configurations, particularly focusing on the MySQL Enterprise Monitor component's access logs and authentication events.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to the latest supported versions of MySQL Enterprise Monitor where the flaw has been addressed. Organizations must also implement robust access control measures, including multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts and regular review of access permissions for monitoring components. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be enforced to limit access to monitoring systems to only authorized personnel and systems, reducing the attack surface available to potential threat actors. Additionally, implementing comprehensive logging and monitoring of access to monitoring systems can help detect unauthorized access attempts or modifications to critical monitoring configurations, providing early warning capabilities for potential exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include specific checks for the MySQL Enterprise Monitor component to identify and remediate similar access control issues across the enterprise database infrastructure.