CVE-2019-2486 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the MySQL Server component of Oracle MySQL (subcomponent: Server: Security: Privileges). Supported versions that are affected are 5.7.24 and prior and 8.0.13 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 • 06/28/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-2486 represents a significant availability risk within Oracle MySQL Server implementations, specifically affecting versions 5.7.24 and earlier, as well as 8.0.13 and earlier releases. This flaw resides within the Server: Security: Privileges subcomponent, indicating that the vulnerability stems from improper privilege handling mechanisms that govern user access and system operations. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable suggests that attackers with high privileged network access can leverage this weakness without requiring extensive technical expertise or specialized tools. The attack vector operates through multiple network protocols, making the exploitation surface broader and more accessible to potential threat actors. Security researchers have categorized this issue as a medium severity concern within the CVSS 3.0 scoring system, with a base score of 4.9 that reflects the system's availability impact. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H) clearly indicates that network-based attacks can be executed with low complexity, requiring only high privileges, and can result in complete system denial of service conditions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves a flaw in how MySQL Server processes privilege-related operations, specifically when handling certain administrative functions that require elevated permissions. When an attacker with sufficient privileges executes malicious operations against the server, the system becomes susceptible to hanging or experiencing repeated crashes that effectively render the database service unavailable. This behavior constitutes a complete denial of service condition where legitimate users cannot access the database services, potentially causing significant operational disruptions for organizations relying on MySQL infrastructure. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple service interruption as the repeated crashes can lead to system instability and require manual intervention to restore normal operations, often involving database restart procedures and potential data recovery measures. The flaw essentially allows an attacker to consume system resources or trigger internal server errors that cause the MySQL process to become unresponsive or terminate unexpectedly.
From an operational perspective, organizations running affected MySQL versions face substantial risk exposure, particularly in environments where database availability is critical for business operations. The vulnerability's requirement for high privileged access means that it typically targets insiders or attackers who have already gained elevated credentials, making it a particularly dangerous issue for organizations with weak privilege management controls. The availability impact score of 8.0 indicates that successful exploitation can completely disable database services, potentially affecting multiple applications that depend on MySQL for data persistence and transaction management. This type of vulnerability can be particularly damaging in production environments where database uptime is essential for business continuity, and where the cost of service disruption can be measured in thousands of dollars per minute of downtime. Organizations may experience cascading failures across their application infrastructure as dependent services become unavailable due to the MySQL server unavailability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-2486 primarily focus on immediate version upgrades to patched MySQL releases that address the privilege handling flaw. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to MySQL versions 5.7.25 or later, and 8.0.14 or later, which contain the necessary security patches. Additionally, implementing strict network access controls and privilege management protocols can help reduce the attack surface by limiting which users can access the database server with high privileges. Security administrators should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect unusual patterns of database activity or service disruptions that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1499 (Endpoint Denial of Service) within the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive privilege audits to ensure that only necessary users maintain high-level access permissions, as this vulnerability can be exploited by attackers who have already compromised legitimate administrative accounts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify similar issues within the broader MySQL ecosystem and prevent exploitation of related vulnerabilities.