CVE-2017-3523 in MySQL
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the MySQL Connectors component of Oracle MySQL (subcomponent: Connector/J). Supported versions that are affected are 5.1.40 and earlier. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via multiple protocols to compromise MySQL Connectors. While the vulnerability is in MySQL Connectors, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of MySQL Connectors. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 8.5 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3523 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle MySQL Connectors, specifically affecting the Connector/J component that facilitates Java applications' connectivity to MySQL databases. This vulnerability resides in the Java database connector that serves as a bridge between Java applications and MySQL server implementations, making it a crucial element in enterprise database architectures. The affected versions include all releases up to and including 5.1.40, indicating a significant attack surface across multiple deployment scenarios where Java applications interact with MySQL databases. The vulnerability's classification as difficult to exploit yet highly impactful reflects the sophisticated nature of the attack vector that requires specific conditions to be met while still presenting severe consequences for affected systems.
The technical flaw manifests through a deserialization vulnerability that occurs when the MySQL Connector/J processes maliciously crafted input data. This weakness allows an attacker to inject and execute arbitrary code within the context of the MySQL connector process, effectively enabling remote code execution capabilities. The vulnerability operates through multiple network protocols including TCP/IP connections that Java applications use to communicate with MySQL servers, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network exposure is common. The attack requires low privilege access and network connectivity, meaning that even unauthenticated attackers can potentially exploit this weakness, though they must be able to establish a connection to the targeted MySQL service. The deserialization mechanism in the connector's code fails to properly validate incoming data structures, allowing attackers to craft malicious payloads that trigger unintended code execution during data processing operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond the immediate MySQL connector component, as demonstrated by the CVSS score of 8.5 which indicates high severity across confidentiality, integrity, and availability domains. Successful exploitation can result in complete compromise of the MySQL connector service, potentially allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to database resources, modify or delete sensitive information, and disrupt database operations. The widespread use of MySQL Connectors in enterprise applications means that a successful attack could compromise multiple systems within an organization's infrastructure, particularly affecting applications that rely on Java-based database connectivity. The shared nature of this vulnerability means that attacks may significantly impact additional products and services that depend on the compromised MySQL connector, potentially creating cascading effects throughout complex IT environments. Organizations using older versions of MySQL Connectors face substantial risk as the vulnerability could enable attackers to escalate privileges, establish persistent access, or use the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks against other network resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-3523 should prioritize immediate patching of affected MySQL Connector/J installations to version 5.1.41 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes to address the deserialization vulnerability. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to restrict access to MySQL services, limiting exposure to only trusted network segments and authorized applications. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on unusual data serialization or deserialization activities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-502, which addresses deserialization of untrusted data, and represents a typical example of how insecure deserialization can lead to remote code execution. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving remote code execution and privilege escalation, potentially enabling adversaries to establish persistence within database environments. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify other potentially affected components within the database ecosystem, as the interconnected nature of modern database architectures means that exploitation of one component may affect broader system security posture.