CVE-2018-2573 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the MySQL Server component of Oracle MySQL (subcomponent: Server: GIS). Supported versions that are affected are 5.6.38 and prior and 5.7.20 and prior. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via multiple protocols to compromise MySQL Server. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized ability to cause a hang or frequently repeatable crash (complete DOS) of MySQL Server. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 6.5 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/31/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2573 resides within the MySQL Server component, specifically within the Server: GIS subcomponent, representing a critical weakness in database infrastructure security. This vulnerability affects MySQL versions 5.6.38 and earlier, as well as 5.7.20 and prior, indicating a widespread impact across multiple major release lines. The flaw manifests in the Geographic Information System functionality of MySQL, which processes spatial data and geographic operations, making it particularly concerning for applications relying on geospatial database features.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows for a low privileged attacker with network access via multiple protocols to compromise the MySQL Server instance. This exploitability characteristic places the vulnerability in the category of remotely accessible flaws that require minimal privileges to execute successfully. The attack vector operates over network protocols, suggesting that the vulnerability could be leveraged through standard database connection mechanisms, potentially including TCP/IP connections and other network-based access methods. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system rates this vulnerability with a base score of 6.5, categorizing it as medium severity, though the availability impact is rated as high at level 8.0, indicating the potential for significant service disruption.
The operational impact of successfully exploiting CVE-2018-2573 results in unauthorized ability to cause a hang or frequently repeatable crash of the MySQL Server, effectively creating a complete denial of service condition. This means that legitimate users and applications attempting to access the database would experience complete service interruption, potentially leading to business disruption and data unavailability. The vulnerability's ability to cause repeated crashes makes it particularly dangerous as it could be used to maintain persistent service disruption rather than simply causing a one-time outage. This characteristic aligns with the ATT&CK framework's denial of service tactics, where adversaries seek to make systems unavailable to legitimate users.
The vulnerability's classification under CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) would likely fall under categories related to input validation and resource management, specifically weakness types that involve improper handling of spatial data structures. The issue stems from inadequate error handling or memory management within the GIS processing functionality, potentially involving buffer overflows or memory corruption scenarios when processing malformed spatial data. Organizations implementing MySQL databases with GIS capabilities should consider this vulnerability as part of their overall security posture assessment, particularly in environments where database availability is critical for business operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-2573 should prioritize immediate patching of affected MySQL versions to the latest available releases, which would include MySQL 5.6.39 and 5.7.21 or later. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit exposure of MySQL servers to untrusted networks, reducing the attack surface available to potential adversaries. Database administrators should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect unusual patterns of database connection attempts or resource consumption that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular vulnerability assessments targeting their database infrastructure to identify and remediate similar issues before they can be exploited by malicious actors. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched systems to ensure that the vulnerability has been properly addressed without introducing new compatibility issues in existing database applications.