CVE-2020-2922 in MySQL Client
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the MySQL Client product of Oracle MySQL (component: C API). Supported versions that are affected are 5.6.47 and prior, 5.7.29 and prior and 8.0.18 and prior. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via multiple protocols to compromise MySQL Client. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized read access to a subset of MySQL Client accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 3.7 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/16/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-2922 represents a significant security weakness within Oracle MySQL Client's C Application Programming Interface component. This flaw affects multiple version streams including the 5.6.x series up to 5.6.47, 5.7.x series up to 5.7.29, and 8.0.x series up to 8.0.18, indicating a widespread impact across the MySQL client ecosystem. The vulnerability resides in the client-side implementation rather than the server component, making it particularly concerning for environments where client applications interact with MySQL databases over network connections. The affected C API component serves as a critical interface for applications to communicate with MySQL servers, establishing a potential attack surface that could be exploited by malicious actors without requiring authentication credentials.
The technical nature of this vulnerability manifests as a difficulty in exploitation scenario that still maintains a realistic threat profile for security practitioners. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system assigns a base score of 3.7, which classifies this as a low-severity vulnerability, yet the attack vector AV:N indicates network-based exploitation is possible. The access complexity rating of AC:H suggests that while the attack requires some technical skill to execute, it is not overly complicated. The vulnerability allows for unauthorized read access to a subset of MySQL Client accessible data, which represents a confidentiality breach rather than a complete system compromise. This classification aligns with CWE-200, which covers "Information Exposure" and specifically addresses situations where sensitive information is disclosed to unauthorized parties. The vulnerability's impact is limited to read operations, meaning attackers cannot modify or delete data, but the potential for data exfiltration remains significant.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-2922 extends beyond simple data exposure, particularly in environments where MySQL client applications handle sensitive information such as user credentials, personal data, financial records, or proprietary business information. Organizations utilizing affected MySQL client versions may find their data at risk from unauthenticated network-based attacks, especially in scenarios where network traffic is not properly secured or monitored. The vulnerability's presence in multiple version streams suggests that many organizations across different deployment scenarios may be impacted, potentially affecting everything from small applications to enterprise-level systems that rely on MySQL client connectivity. Security teams must consider the broader implications of this vulnerability within their network infrastructure, particularly when evaluating the security posture of systems that communicate with MySQL databases over potentially untrusted networks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-2922 should prioritize immediate patching of affected MySQL client installations to the latest available versions that contain the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement network-level controls such as firewalls and access control lists to limit network access to MySQL client applications, particularly when these applications are not essential for external connectivity. The principle of least privilege should be applied to MySQL client configurations, ensuring that applications only have access to the specific database resources they require. Network monitoring and intrusion detection systems should be configured to detect unusual patterns of database access that might indicate exploitation attempts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and data exposure, specifically T1078 for valid accounts and T1041 for data encryption. Organizations should also consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on unauthorized read attempts against sensitive data objects. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify other potential attack vectors within the database ecosystem, while maintaining up-to-date security patches across all database client and server components to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future.