CVE-2018-3203 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the MySQL Server component of Oracle MySQL (subcomponent: Server: Optimizer). Supported versions that are affected are 8.0.12 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 • 07/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3203 resides within the MySQL Server component of Oracle MySQL, specifically within the Server: Optimizer subcomponent. This flaw affects MySQL versions 8.0.12 and earlier, representing a critical availability risk that can be exploited by low-privileged attackers with network access. The vulnerability operates through multiple network protocols, making it particularly concerning as it can be leveraged across various attack vectors without requiring elevated privileges. The CVSS score of 6.5 reflects the moderate severity of the issue, with the primary impact being availability disruption rather than confidentiality or integrity compromise. The attack vector assessment of AV:N indicates network-based exploitation, while the low access complexity AC:L suggests the vulnerability is readily exploitable. The requirement for low privileges PR:L means that even users with minimal permissions can potentially trigger this vulnerability, making it especially dangerous in environments where multiple users have access to the database server.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves the optimizer component within MySQL Server, which is responsible for processing and executing SQL queries efficiently. When an attacker crafts specific queries that exploit the flaw in the optimizer, the system can become unstable and either hang indefinitely or crash repeatedly. This behavior constitutes a complete denial of service condition that can render the database server completely unusable until manual intervention occurs. The vulnerability's impact on system availability means that legitimate users and applications dependent on the MySQL server will be unable to access database resources, potentially causing significant business disruption. The optimizer's role in query processing makes this particularly dangerous since even simple SQL operations could trigger the exploitable condition, and the repeated crash behavior suggests that the system may not recover automatically from the attack.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-3203 extends beyond immediate service disruption to encompass broader business continuity concerns. Organizations relying on MySQL for critical applications face potential downtime that could result in lost productivity, revenue loss, and damage to customer relationships. The vulnerability's ease of exploitation means that attackers can quickly deploy attacks without requiring advanced technical skills or extensive reconnaissance. The fact that this affects MySQL 8.0.12 and prior versions indicates that organizations running these older releases are particularly vulnerable, as they represent a significant portion of installations in production environments. The complete DOS condition affects not just individual query execution but the entire server functionality, meaning that database administrators may need to perform manual restarts or even system recovery procedures to restore service availability.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to MySQL versions that have patched this vulnerability, specifically versions beyond 8.0.12. System administrators should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to the MySQL server from untrusted networks. Monitoring and logging of database activities should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts, particularly around query execution patterns that might trigger the optimizer flaw. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks and CWE-476 for null pointer dereference conditions that can lead to system instability. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include checks for this specific flaw, and incident response procedures should be updated to address potential denial of service scenarios. Additionally, implementing database firewalls or query filtering mechanisms can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts while the upgrade process is underway.