CVE-2018-2647 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the MySQL Server component of Oracle MySQL (subcomponent: Server: Replication). Supported versions that are affected are 5.6.38 and prior and 5.7.20 and prior. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows high 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 as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of MySQL Server accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 5.5 (Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/31/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2647 resides within the MySQL Server component, specifically within the Server: Replication subcomponent of Oracle MySQL database systems. This flaw affects widely deployed versions including all releases prior to 5.6.38 and 5.7.20, making it a significant concern for organizations maintaining legacy database infrastructure. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers with high privileges and network access can leverage this weakness through multiple protocols to compromise the target MySQL server. This represents a critical security gap that directly impacts the integrity and availability of database operations, with potential cascading effects on applications dependent on MySQL services.
The technical nature of this vulnerability manifests through a flaw in the replication mechanism that allows authenticated attackers with elevated privileges to execute malicious operations against the MySQL server. The attack vector requires network access and assumes the attacker has already gained high-privilege access to the system, which aligns with the CVSS scoring that reflects the attacker's elevated privileges requirement. The vulnerability enables an attacker to cause complete denial of service conditions through hang or frequent crashes, effectively rendering the database server unusable for legitimate operations. Additionally, the flaw permits unauthorized modification of data through update, insert, or delete operations on specific portions of the database that the compromised server can access, creating potential data corruption or unauthorized data manipulation scenarios.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-2647 extends beyond immediate service disruption to encompass potential data integrity compromise and business continuity risks. Organizations utilizing affected MySQL versions face the risk of complete service outages that could affect multiple applications depending on database connectivity, while unauthorized data modifications could lead to significant data loss or corruption. The vulnerability's potential for repeated crashes creates a persistent threat to system stability, as attackers can repeatedly trigger the flaw to maintain disruption. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-119, which addresses improper restriction of operations within a limited scope, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1484.001 related to Domain Policy Modification, as the compromised server could be used to manipulate database access controls and data integrity. The CVSS 3.0 score of 5.5 reflects the balanced impact across integrity and availability domains, indicating moderate severity but significant operational consequences.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-2647 should prioritize immediate version upgrades to MySQL 5.6.38 or 5.7.20, or later releases that contain the relevant security patches. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of MySQL servers to only authorized network segments and users. Additional defensive measures include monitoring for unusual replication activity and implementing robust audit logging to detect unauthorized modifications. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date database systems and implementing proper privilege management practices to minimize the risk of exploitation. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all affected MySQL instances and establish monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts. Given the availability of patches and the relatively straightforward nature of the fix, organizations should prioritize remediation efforts to eliminate this vulnerability from their operational environment.