CVE-2022-21328 in MySQL Cluster
Summary
by MITRE • 01/19/2022
Vulnerability in the MySQL Cluster product of Oracle MySQL (component: Cluster: General). Supported versions that are affected are 7.4.34 and prior, 7.5.24 and prior, 7.6.20 and prior and 8.0.27 and prior. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows high privileged attacker with access to the physical communication segment attached to the hardware where the MySQL Cluster executes to compromise MySQL Cluster. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of MySQL Cluster. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 6.3 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/24/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-21328 represents a significant security weakness within Oracle MySQL Cluster implementations that affects multiple version branches including 7.4.34 and earlier, 7.5.24 and earlier, 7.6.20 and earlier, and 8.0.27 and earlier. This vulnerability resides within the Cluster: General component of the MySQL Cluster product, which serves as the foundational architecture for distributed database operations. The affected versions indicate a broad impact across the MySQL Cluster lifecycle, suggesting this weakness has persisted through several major releases and represents a fundamental architectural flaw rather than a transient issue. The vulnerability classification as difficult to exploit indicates that while the attack vector is not trivial, it remains a serious threat due to the potential for complete system compromise.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient security controls within the communication protocols and access mechanisms of the MySQL Cluster environment. The attack requires an adversary to have physical access to the communication segment connected to the hardware executing the MySQL Cluster, which places this vulnerability in the category of network-level attacks. The high privilege requirement for attackers indicates that the vulnerability does not allow for arbitrary access but rather requires an attacker to already possess elevated privileges within the physical environment or network segment. The necessity for human interaction from someone other than the attacker suggests that the exploitation may involve social engineering elements or require specific operational conditions that would need to be orchestrated by an insider or someone with legitimate access to the environment.
The operational impact of successful exploitation of CVE-2022-21328 is severe and potentially catastrophic for organizations relying on MySQL Cluster deployments. The complete takeover of the MySQL Cluster represents a critical compromise that would allow attackers to gain full control over database operations, potentially leading to data exfiltration, integrity corruption, and service disruption. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.3 reflects the balanced nature of the risk, with high impacts across confidentiality, integrity, and availability dimensions. This scoring aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and follows attack patterns consistent with the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and persistence techniques. The availability impact is particularly concerning as cluster failures could result in complete database service outages, while the confidentiality and integrity impacts could lead to sensitive data exposure and manipulation.
Organizations must implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, beginning with immediate patching of affected MySQL Cluster installations to the latest supported versions. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit physical access to cluster hardware and communication segments, implementing the principle of least privilege for all network participants. Monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect unusual network activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around cluster communication protocols. The vulnerability's requirement for physical network access suggests that traditional perimeter-based security measures may not be sufficient, necessitating a more holistic approach to physical security controls. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify potential exploitation vectors and validate the effectiveness of implemented controls. Additionally, administrative procedures should be reviewed to ensure that access controls are properly enforced and that any human interaction requirements are carefully managed through proper authorization processes. Organizations should also consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous behavior patterns consistent with cluster takeover attempts, providing early warning capabilities for potential exploitation of this vulnerability.