CVE-2020-2804 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the MySQL Server product of Oracle MySQL (component: Server: Memcached). Supported versions that are affected are 5.6.47 and prior, 5.7.29 and prior and 8.0.19 and prior. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows unauthenticated 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 5.9 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-2804 affects the MySQL Server memcached component, representing a significant availability risk within Oracle MySQL database systems. This flaw exists in multiple version ranges including 5.6.47 and earlier, 5.7.29 and earlier, and 8.0.19 and earlier versions, indicating a widespread impact across the MySQL server ecosystem. The vulnerability resides within the Server: Memcached component which serves as a bridge between MySQL and memcached, enabling efficient caching mechanisms for database operations. The affected configuration allows for unauthenticated network-based exploitation, making it particularly dangerous as attackers require no valid credentials to attempt exploitation. This characteristic significantly broadens the attack surface and increases the probability of successful compromise.
The technical nature of this vulnerability manifests as a flaw in the memcached interface implementation within MySQL Server that can be triggered through multiple network protocols. When exploited, the vulnerability enables attackers to cause a complete denial of service condition by inducing hangs or frequently repeatable crashes within the MySQL Server process. The exploitation difficulty is rated as hard, suggesting that while not trivial, it remains achievable by determined attackers with network access to the target system. The vulnerability's impact is classified as high availability impact, with a CVSS 3.0 base score of 5.9, indicating a moderate to high severity threat that can effectively disrupt database services and compromise system availability.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a critical risk to database availability and system stability, particularly in environments where MySQL servers are exposed to untrusted networks. The ability to cause complete denial of service through simple network-based attacks makes this vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to disrupt services. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption as the repeated crashes can lead to extended downtime and potential data consistency issues. Organizations running affected MySQL versions face significant operational risks including service degradation, user access interruptions, and potential business continuity impacts. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-119 (Improper Access of Resource via Pointer Dereference) and its mapping to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 (Endpoint Denial of Service) highlights the specific attack vectors and exploitation methods that can be employed against affected systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-2804 should prioritize immediate patching of affected MySQL versions to the latest available releases that contain the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit exposure of MySQL servers to untrusted networks and consider disabling memcached interfaces when not actively required. Access controls should be strengthened through firewall rules that restrict network access to MySQL services, particularly when memcached functionality is enabled. Monitoring and logging should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, including monitoring for repeated connection failures or service interruptions. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected MySQL versions and implement comprehensive incident response procedures to address potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and proper network architecture design to prevent unauthorized access to critical database services.