CVE-2023-22097 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
Vulnerability in the MySQL Server product of Oracle MySQL (component: InnoDB). Supported versions that are affected are 8.0.34 and prior and 8.1.0. Easily exploitable 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 4.9 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-22097 resides within the InnoDB storage engine component of Oracle MySQL server implementations. This issue affects specific version ranges including all releases up to and including 8.0.34 as well as the initial 8.1.0 release, representing a critical concern for database administrators managing MySQL deployments. The vulnerability manifests as an availability impact flaw that can be exploited by attackers possessing high privileges and network access through multiple communication protocols, making it particularly dangerous in environments where privileged accounts exist and network exposure is present.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling within the InnoDB storage engine that leads to system instability when specific operations are performed. Attackers with elevated privileges can craft malicious requests that trigger memory corruption or resource exhaustion conditions within the database server. The flaw operates at a low level within the database engine's internal processing mechanisms, causing the MySQL server process to either become unresponsive or crash repeatedly, effectively rendering the database service unavailable to legitimate users and applications. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, though the specific manifestation appears to involve resource management failures rather than traditional buffer overflows.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can lead to complete denial of service conditions that may require manual intervention to restore database services. Organizations relying on MySQL for critical business operations face significant risk from this vulnerability, particularly in environments where database availability is paramount. The CVSS 3.1 score of 4.9 indicates a medium severity impact, but the availability-focused nature means that even brief outages can cause cascading failures throughout dependent systems. The attack vector requiring only network access and high privileges suggests that internal threats or compromised accounts with elevated database permissions pose a substantial risk to system availability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-22097 should prioritize immediate patching of affected MySQL versions to the latest available releases that contain the necessary fixes. Database administrators should implement network segmentation to limit access to MySQL services and ensure that only authorized systems can communicate with database servers. Access controls should be strictly enforced through proper user privilege management, ensuring that database accounts possess only the minimum necessary permissions. Monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual patterns of database connection failures or process restarts that could indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious network traffic patterns targeting MySQL services provides an additional layer of defense. The vulnerability's classification under the availability impact category aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499 which covers network denial of service attacks, making it crucial for organizations to maintain robust incident response procedures for handling such availability-focused threats. Organizations should also consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous behavior patterns consistent with exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of database configurations and access controls help identify potential vectors for privilege escalation that could lead to exploitation of this vulnerability.