CVE-2018-3173 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the MySQL Server component of Oracle MySQL (subcomponent: InnoDB). Supported versions that are affected are 5.7.23 and prior and 8.0.12 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 • 05/29/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3173 resides within the InnoDB storage engine of Oracle MySQL database systems, representing a critical availability threat that affects multiple version ranges including 5.7.23 and earlier releases as well as 8.0.12 and prior versions. This flaw specifically impacts the database server component where InnoDB handles transactional data processing and storage operations, making it a core element of MySQL's reliability and operational integrity. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers with high privileges and network access can leverage this weakness to compromise the targeted MySQL server instances. Security researchers have categorized this issue as a significant concern due to its potential to cause complete denial of service conditions through either system hangs or repeated crashes that render the database unavailable to legitimate users and applications. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system assigns a base score of 4.9 with a high availability impact, reflecting the severity of potential service disruption that could affect business operations and data availability. The attack vector requires network access and high privileges, suggesting that this vulnerability may be exploited by internal threat actors or attackers who have already gained elevated access to the system environment.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling within the InnoDB storage engine's transaction processing mechanisms, where specific conditions can trigger system instability leading to complete server crashes or indefinite hangs. This flaw likely involves memory management issues or improper resource handling during transaction execution that can be manipulated by an attacker with sufficient privileges to execute malicious SQL statements or transaction operations. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe because it affects the fundamental database server functionality, making it difficult to distinguish between legitimate database operations and malicious exploitation attempts. The complete denial of service condition can result in extended downtime for database services, potentially affecting multiple applications that depend on MySQL for data storage and retrieval operations. This type of vulnerability directly impacts the database server's ability to maintain consistent availability and reliability, which are essential requirements for enterprise database systems. The vulnerability's exploitation does not require special privileges beyond what an authenticated high-privileged user would already possess, making it particularly dangerous in environments where database administrators maintain elevated access rights.
Organizations affected by CVE-2018-3173 face significant operational risks including potential service interruptions, data access delays, and increased administrative overhead for system recovery and maintenance. The vulnerability's potential to cause repeated crashes or hangs can lead to cascading failures in applications that depend on MySQL services, affecting business continuity and user productivity. Database administrators must implement immediate mitigation strategies to protect their systems, including applying the appropriate security patches from Oracle that address the InnoDB transaction handling issues. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple service disruption to include potential data integrity concerns during crash recovery scenarios where incomplete transactions may need to be resolved. Security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts through database audit logs and network monitoring tools that can detect unusual transaction patterns or resource consumption that may indicate exploitation activity. The availability impact of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-119 which addresses memory safety issues and improper access to memory regions, while the specific exploitation technique may map to ATT&CK tactics involving privilege escalation and denial of service. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities, particularly in environments where database administrators have elevated privileges.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-3173 primarily involve applying the official Oracle security patches that address the InnoDB storage engine issues affecting the vulnerable MySQL versions. Database administrators should prioritize patch deployment across all affected systems, particularly those running versions 5.7.23 and earlier or 8.0.12 and earlier, ensuring that the updates are properly tested in non-production environments before deployment. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring measures to detect potential exploitation attempts, including enhanced database audit logging and network traffic analysis focused on transaction processing patterns. The vulnerability's classification as a high-privilege attack vector suggests that organizations should review their database access controls and privilege management policies to ensure that only necessary users have elevated permissions. Security teams should consider implementing database firewalls or application-level controls that can detect and prevent malicious transaction sequences that could trigger the vulnerability. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify potential exploitation pathways, while incident response procedures should be updated to address potential denial of service scenarios. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patch implementations to ensure that database functionality remains intact and that no regressions are introduced. Organizations should also consider implementing redundant database systems or high availability configurations to minimize the impact of potential service disruptions caused by this vulnerability. The vulnerability's characteristics make it particularly important for organizations to maintain current security awareness and incident response capabilities for database-related security threats.