CVE-2024-21159 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 8.3.0 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
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-21159 represents a significant availability threat within Oracle MySQL Server's InnoDB storage engine component. This flaw affects MySQL versions 8.0.36 and earlier, as well as 8.3.0 and prior releases, making it a widespread concern across multiple stable and development branches of the database platform. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers with high privileges and network access can leverage this weakness through multiple protocols to compromise affected systems. The attack vector requires network connectivity and assumes the attacker already possesses elevated privileges, suggesting this vulnerability may be exploited by insiders or compromised accounts with administrative access to the database environment.
The technical nature of this vulnerability manifests as a complete denial of service condition that can cause the MySQL Server to hang or experience frequently repeatable crashes. This behavior directly impacts the availability aspect of the database system, rendering critical business applications and services dependent on MySQL inaccessible. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe because it allows attackers to cause persistent system instability that could require manual intervention to restore normal operations. The CVSS 3.1 score of 4.9 reflects the moderate to high severity of this availability impact, with the attack complexity being low and the requirement for privileged access being the primary control mechanism. The vulnerability's characteristics align with CWE-119, which addresses improper restriction of operations within a memory buffer, and may also relate to CWE-400, concerning unchecked resource consumption that can lead to denial of service conditions.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents substantial risk to organizations relying on MySQL for critical business operations, as it can result in complete service disruption that affects data availability and application functionality. The fact that this vulnerability affects multiple versions across different release streams indicates that organizations may need to implement immediate patching strategies across their MySQL deployments. The requirement for high privileged access suggests that organizations should focus their security efforts on access control measures, including proper privilege management, network segmentation, and monitoring of administrative activities. The vulnerability's potential for causing repeated crashes means that even a single successful exploitation attempt could result in extended downtime that impacts business continuity and service level agreements.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through official Oracle patches and updates, while implementing additional controls such as network access restrictions, monitoring of database administrative activities, and regular vulnerability assessments. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1190 technique for exploitation of remote services, with potential lateral movement opportunities if attackers can escalate privileges or gain access to additional systems. Security teams should also consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous patterns associated with database crashes or service disruptions. The vulnerability's availability impact suggests that organizations should also review their backup and disaster recovery procedures to ensure rapid restoration capabilities in case of successful exploitation attempts, as the system may require restart operations to recover from persistent crashes.