CVE-2021-2160 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in the MySQL Server product of Oracle MySQL. The vulnerability affects supported versions of MySQL Server, specifically versions 5.7.30 and earlier, as well as 8.0.17 and earlier. This vulnerability allows a high-privileged attacker with network access via multiple protocols to compromise the MySQL Server. Successful exploitation can result in an unauthorized ability to cause a hang or frequently repeatable crash, leading to a complete denial of service (DoS) for the MySQL Server.
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) version 3.1 has assigned this vulnerability a base score of 4.9, indicating it has a medium severity level with a significant impact on availability. The CVSS vector string is (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H), which indicates that the attack vector is network-based and requires high privileges to exploit, while no user interaction is needed. The vulnerability's potential for exploitation emphasizes the urgency for organizations to remediate it.
Organizations should prioritize patching immediately to protect against potential denial-of-service attacks. The lack of confirmed public exploits and the absence of known exploitation in the Known Exploitation Vulnerability (KEV) catalog should not lead to complacency, as the vulnerability remains a concern for users of affected MySQL versions. The risk to organizations includes significant downtime and disruption of services.
Given the nature of the vulnerability and its impact on availability, organizations utilizing affected MySQL versions need to assess their exposure and implement appropriate security measures and patching strategies.
Vulnerability Details
The vulnerability in question is classified as a denial-of-service vulnerability affecting Oracle MySQL's Server: Optimizer component. The affected versions include MySQL 5.7.30 and prior, as well as 8.0.17 and prior. As mentioned earlier, successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized service disruption. The CVSS score of 4.9 indicates that while the vulnerability is not classified as critical, it poses a substantial risk that necessitates prompt attention.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate validation within the MySQL Server's optimization processes. Attackers may leverage network access to exploit this flaw, which requires high privileges, indicating that only users with significant access rights can exploit this vulnerability.
The attack vector is network-based, meaning that attackers do not need physical access to the system. The attack complexity is rated as low, suggesting that an exploit can be executed without sophisticated techniques. No user interaction is required, further increasing the risk of exploitation.
The vulnerability impacts the availability of the MySQL Server, resulting in a high availability impact score. With a significant impact on service availability, organizations must ensure that their MySQL deployments are secured against potential exploitation.
Risk & Impact Analysis
The risk to organizations includes potential service outages and disruptions caused by the exploitation of this vulnerability. Given the nature of MySQL as a widely used database, any downtime can significantly affect business operations, leading to loss of data access and potential revenue loss.
With a CVSS score of 4.9 and its classification as a medium severity vulnerability, organizations must address this issue in their priority patch cycle. The availability impact indicates the critical nature of timely remediation to prevent unauthorized denial-of-service scenarios.
Organizations utilizing affected versions of MySQL should assess their risk exposure, prioritize patching, and implement monitoring to mitigate potential impacts. The absence of known exploits does not diminish the severity of this vulnerability.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The following versions of MySQL Server are affected: 5.7.30 and prior, as well as 8.0.17 and prior. Organizations using these versions should act swiftly to apply patches provided by Oracle to mitigate this vulnerability.
Mitigation & Remediation
To remediate this vulnerability, organizations should apply the latest patches provided by Oracle as soon as possible. The recommended versions to upgrade to are 5.7.31 or later and 8.0.18 or later. If immediate patching is not feasible, organizations can implement workarounds such as restricting network access to the MySQL server and monitoring for anomalous activity.
Organizations should also consider enhancing their security posture through configuration hardening and implementing network controls to limit exposure. Continuous monitoring should be instituted to detect any unusual activity that may signify an attempted exploitation of this vulnerability.
Penetration testing can also be utilized to assess the effectiveness of the applied mitigations.
Detection Guidance
Organizations should monitor logs for unusual access patterns, particularly from high-privileged accounts. Behavioral anomalies in database performance, such as unexpected slowdowns or crashes, should also be investigated. Network signatures indicating unauthorized access attempts should be tracked diligently.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2021-2160 highlights the need for robust security practices within database management systems. As vulnerabilities in widely used technologies like MySQL can have far-reaching implications, organizations must remain vigilant in their security assessments.
This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of regular updates and security patches to protect against potential exploits. Security teams should take note of the patterns of vulnerabilities affecting databases to enhance their overall security framework.
Additionally, organizations should leverage effective vulnerability management programs and consider penetration testing methodologies to proactively identify and mitigate such vulnerabilities.
The strategic takeaway is clear: investing in security validation processes can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation and enhance the resilience of database systems against emerging threats.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
.webp)