CVE-2018-3078 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the MySQL Server component of Oracle MySQL (subcomponent: Server: DDL). Supported versions that are affected are 8.0.11 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. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 4.9 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3078 resides within the MySQL Server component, specifically within the Server: DDL subcomponent, affecting versions 8.0.11 and earlier. This represents a critical availability threat that demonstrates how database management systems can be compromised through carefully crafted inputs that exploit underlying implementation flaws. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers with high privileges and network access can leverage this weakness to disrupt database services effectively.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of certain Data Definition Language operations within the MySQL server architecture. When subjected to maliciously crafted DDL statements, the server exhibits behavior that leads to system instability and potential complete denial of service conditions. The flaw manifests as a condition where legitimate database operations can trigger system hangs or repeated crashes, effectively rendering the database server unavailable to authorized users and applications that depend on its services.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on MySQL for critical database operations. The high privilege requirement for exploitation suggests that attackers must already have elevated access rights within the network environment, but this does not mitigate the severity of impact. The availability impact score of 4.9 on the CVSS scale indicates that successful exploitation can lead to complete system unavailability, potentially affecting business continuity and data access. Organizations may experience service disruptions that could span hours or days until the vulnerability is patched and systems are restored.
The attack vector analysis reveals that this vulnerability can be exploited through multiple protocols, indicating the broad exposure surface that exists within MySQL server implementations. This multi-protocol accessibility increases the probability of successful exploitation and makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where multiple communication channels exist between database servers and client applications. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H) demonstrates that network-based attacks require low complexity but high privilege levels, while the lack of user interaction requirements suggests that automated exploitation is possible.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected MySQL versions, as this vulnerability represents a clear path to service disruption that can be exploited by both internal and external threat actors. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of patched versions in non-production environments before deployment to ensure compatibility with existing database operations. Security teams should also implement monitoring controls to detect unusual database behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 and CWE-122 categories related to buffer overflow conditions and memory corruption issues that can lead to denial of service scenarios. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving service stoppage and availability disruption, potentially enabling further lateral movement within compromised networks where database services are critical infrastructure components.