CVE-2022-21336 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-2022-21336 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 operates within the Cluster: General component of the MySQL Cluster architecture and demonstrates characteristics that align with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control mechanisms. The security implications extend beyond simple data exposure to encompass complete system compromise, making it a critical concern for database administrators and cybersecurity professionals managing MySQL Cluster deployments.
The technical nature of this vulnerability requires specific environmental conditions for exploitation to occur successfully. Attackers must possess access to the physical communication segment connected to the hardware executing the MySQL Cluster, indicating that this represents a network-level attack vector rather than a remote code execution vulnerability. The high privilege requirement for exploitation places this vulnerability within the ATT&CK framework under the T1068 technique for "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" and potentially T1566 for "Phishing" if human interaction is required for successful exploitation. The CVSS 3.1 score of 6.3 reflects the severity of impacts across confidentiality, integrity, and availability domains, with the attack vector being local (AV:A) indicating access to the network segment, attack complexity being high (AC:H), and requiring human interaction (UI:R) which suggests social engineering or insider threat scenarios.
Operational impact of successful exploitation of CVE-2022-21336 can be devastating for organizations relying on MySQL Cluster for critical database operations. The vulnerability enables full takeover of the MySQL Cluster system, potentially allowing attackers to modify database contents, extract sensitive information, or disrupt database services entirely. This compromise directly affects the availability of database services which could result in significant business disruption and data loss. The requirement for human interaction suggests that successful exploitation might involve social engineering tactics where an insider or someone with physical access to the network segment could be manipulated to perform actions that facilitate the attack. Organizations with MySQL Cluster implementations must consider this vulnerability as a potential entry point for broader attacks against their database infrastructure and should evaluate their network segmentation and access controls to prevent unauthorized physical access to network segments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-21336 should focus on both immediate remediation and long-term security hardening measures. The most effective immediate solution involves upgrading to unaffected versions of MySQL Cluster as recommended by Oracle security advisories, which addresses the root cause of the vulnerability. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to restrict physical access to network segments where MySQL Cluster components operate, aligning with the principle of least privilege and the ATT&CK framework's emphasis on limiting access to critical systems. Additional security controls should include monitoring for unusual network activity on segments where MySQL Cluster operates, implementing robust authentication mechanisms, and conducting regular security assessments to identify potential insider threats or unauthorized physical access points. The vulnerability's classification as requiring human interaction also necessitates employee security awareness training to prevent social engineering attacks that could facilitate exploitation of this vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing network access control lists and monitoring systems that can detect unauthorized access attempts to database network segments.