CVE-2024-7701 in percona-toolkit
Summary
by MITRE • 12/15/2024
Use of Password Hash With Insufficient Computational Effort vulnerability in percona percona-toolkit allows Encryption Brute Forcing.This issue affects percona-toolkit: 3.6.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/24/2025
The CVE-2024-7701 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in Percona Toolkit version 3.6.0 that undermines the cryptographic strength of password hashing mechanisms. This vulnerability falls under the category of insufficient computational effort in password hashing, which directly compromises the security of authentication systems that rely on these weak hashing implementations. The issue stems from the toolkit's use of password hashing algorithms that do not adequately resist brute force attacks through computational expense, making credential recovery significantly more feasible for malicious actors. This weakness particularly affects systems where Percona Toolkit is employed for database administration tasks, potentially exposing sensitive authentication credentials that should remain protected through robust cryptographic practices.
The technical flaw manifests in the toolkit's implementation of password hashing functions that fail to incorporate sufficient computational overhead to deter automated attack methods. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-910, which specifically addresses the use of weak or broken cryptographic algorithms, and represents a direct violation of established security practices that mandate the use of computationally intensive hashing algorithms such as bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2. The insufficient computational effort means that attackers can perform rapid brute force operations against password hashes, significantly reducing the time required to discover valid credentials through dictionary attacks or rainbow table lookups. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because Percona Toolkit is commonly used for database management and administrative tasks, where the compromise of authentication credentials could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive database environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential compromise, as it creates potential pathways for broader system infiltration and data exfiltration. Attackers leveraging this weakness can systematically test password combinations against captured hashes, potentially gaining access to database systems, administrative interfaces, and sensitive information stored within Percona-managed environments. This vulnerability directly maps to tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under credential access and privilege escalation techniques, where adversaries exploit weak cryptographic implementations to obtain unauthorized system access. The implications are especially severe in database environments where Percona Toolkit is used for backup operations, monitoring, or administrative tasks, as compromised credentials could provide attackers with persistent access to critical data infrastructure.
Organizations utilizing Percona Toolkit version 3.6.0 should immediately implement mitigations to address this vulnerability, including upgrading to patched versions of the toolkit that implement robust password hashing mechanisms. The recommended approach involves replacing weak hashing algorithms with industry-standard implementations that incorporate sufficient computational effort through techniques such as salting, iterative hashing, and adjustable work factors. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive audits of authentication systems that rely on Percona Toolkit for credential management, ensuring that all password hashing implementations meet current security standards and resistance requirements. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing multi-factor authentication mechanisms and regular security assessments to reduce the attack surface and prevent exploitation of this vulnerability across their database infrastructure.