CVE-2021-2174 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE • 04/23/2021
Vulnerability in the MySQL Server product of Oracle MySQL (component: InnoDB). Supported versions that are affected are 5.7.33 and prior and 8.0.23 and prior. Difficult to exploit 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 3.1 Base Score 4.4 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/26/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-2174 affects the InnoDB storage engine component within Oracle MySQL server implementations. This issue manifests in versions 5.7.33 and earlier, as well as 8.0.23 and prior, representing a significant concern for database administrators managing MySQL deployments. The vulnerability resides within the InnoDB subsystem which handles transactional database operations, making it a critical component for database integrity and availability. The affected versions span across both major MySQL releases, indicating a widespread impact that requires immediate attention from system administrators and security teams.
The technical flaw within the InnoDB engine represents a memory management or resource handling issue that can be exploited by attackers with high privileges and network access. According to the CVSS 3.1 scoring system, this vulnerability is classified as having a base score of 4.4, with the availability impact category receiving the highest weight. The attack vector requires network access and demands high privileges from the attacker, suggesting that this vulnerability is not easily exploitable by casual threat actors but poses a serious risk to environments where privileged database accounts exist. The vulnerability's difficulty to exploit classification indicates that while it is not trivial to compromise, it does represent a legitimate security concern that can be leveraged by determined attackers.
The operational impact of successfully exploiting this vulnerability results in a complete denial of service condition for the affected MySQL server instance. Attackers can cause the server to hang or experience frequently repeatable crashes, effectively rendering database services unavailable to legitimate users and applications. This type of availability impact directly violates the fundamental principles of information security as outlined in the CIA triad, specifically targeting the availability aspect that ensures systems remain operational and accessible. The consequences extend beyond simple service disruption, as database unavailability can cascade through entire application ecosystems that depend on MySQL for data persistence and transactional integrity.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which addresses buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of how memory management flaws can lead to denial of service scenarios. The attack pattern described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework would likely involve initial access through network-based exploitation followed by privilege escalation to achieve the necessary high privilege level required for exploitation. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the latest security patches from Oracle, implementing network segmentation to limit access to database servers, and monitoring for unusual network activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues within database infrastructure, ensuring that the security posture remains resilient against both known and emerging threats in the cybersecurity landscape.