CVE-2018-3279 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the MySQL Server component of Oracle MySQL (subcomponent: Server: Security: Roles). Supported versions that are affected are 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 • 07/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3279 resides within Oracle MySQL's Server component, specifically within the Security: Roles subcomponent. This flaw affects MySQL versions 8.0.12 and earlier, representing a significant concern for database security infrastructure. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers with high privileged access and network connectivity can leverage this weakness to compromise the target MySQL server. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system assigns this vulnerability a base score of 4.9, with the availability impact component rated at 0.8, reflecting the potential for complete denial of service conditions. The attack vector is assessed as network-based with low access complexity and high privilege requirements, suggesting that the exploit requires an authenticated attacker who already possesses elevated privileges within the system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves a flaw in how MySQL handles role-based security mechanisms, which can lead to a denial of service condition through either a hang or frequent crashes of the MySQL server process. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of Buffer Overflow, specifically related to heap-based buffer overflows that can occur during role management operations. The operational impact extends beyond simple service disruption as attackers can repeatedly trigger the vulnerability to maintain persistent denial of service conditions, making it particularly dangerous for production environments where database availability is critical. The vulnerability's designation as a complete DOS allows an attacker to render the database service completely unavailable to legitimate users, effectively disabling database operations.
From an operational perspective, the implications of CVE-2018-3279 are severe for organizations relying on MySQL database servers for business-critical applications. The vulnerability can be exploited through multiple network protocols, increasing the attack surface and making it more difficult to defend against. The requirement for high privilege access means that attackers typically need to have already compromised credentials or gained administrative access to the system before targeting this specific vulnerability. However, once exploited, the resulting denial of service can have cascading effects across dependent applications and services that rely on the database for their operations. Organizations implementing the ATT&CK framework would classify this vulnerability under the T1499.004 technique for network denial of service, potentially combined with T1078 for legitimate credentials usage to gain the necessary privileges.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve upgrading to MySQL version 8.0.13 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the security flaw. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential attack surface, ensuring that only authorized personnel have the necessary privileges to interact with the database server. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual patterns of database access that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's characteristics align with the NIST Special Publication 800-53 security controls, particularly those related to system and information integrity, and access control measures. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues in database environments, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date database software to prevent exploitation of known security flaws.