CVE-2024-21157 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE • 07/17/2024
Vulnerability in the MySQL Server product of Oracle MySQL (component: InnoDB). Supported versions that are affected are 8.0.36 and prior and 8.4.0 and prior. 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 • 10/25/2024
This vulnerability resides within the InnoDB storage engine component of Oracle MySQL server, affecting versions 8.0.36 and earlier, as well as 8.4.0 and earlier. The flaw represents a significant availability threat that can be exploited by attackers with high privileges and network access through multiple protocols. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that sophisticated attack techniques are not required, making it particularly dangerous in environments where privileged network access might be compromised. The CVSS base score of 4.9 reflects the moderate severity of the availability impact, though the potential for complete denial of service makes this a critical concern for database availability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability manifests as a condition that allows a hang or frequently repeatable crash of the MySQL server instance. This occurs specifically within the InnoDB storage engine processing logic, suggesting an issue with how the database handles certain data operations or memory management scenarios. The vulnerability's impact on server stability means that successful exploitation can result in complete service disruption, forcing administrators to manually restart database services and potentially causing data loss or transaction failures. The attack vector requires network access combined with high privilege levels, indicating that the vulnerability likely involves authenticated operations or specific administrative commands that can trigger the problematic code path.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to database availability and system reliability. Organizations running affected MySQL versions face potential service interruptions that could impact business operations, particularly in environments where database uptime is critical for application functionality. The vulnerability's potential for causing frequent crashes means that even brief exploitation periods could result in substantial downtime. The requirement for high privilege access somewhat limits the attack surface, but in environments where administrative accounts are compromised or where attackers have gained elevated access through other means, this vulnerability becomes highly exploitable. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption to potentially affecting data consistency and transaction processing.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of affected MySQL versions to the latest releases that contain the fix for this InnoDB vulnerability. Organizations should prioritize updating their MySQL servers to versions that have addressed this specific issue, particularly in production environments where database availability is paramount. Network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to ensure that only authorized personnel have high privilege access to database systems, reducing the potential attack surface. Monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns of database service disruptions or crashes that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing proper database access logging and audit trails can help identify unauthorized access attempts that might lead to exploitation of this vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework would classify this as a denial of service attack vector, potentially involving privilege escalation or command execution techniques that leverage the high privilege requirements of the vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing database firewalls or intrusion prevention systems to monitor and block suspicious network traffic patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts.