Cloudanix VulnDB

CVE-2024-21054

Medium · 4.9

CVSS

4.9

EPSS

1.0%

Published

Apr 16, 2024

CISA due date

—

Cloudanix analysis

Schedule a fix SSVC: Track

A problem in the database software lets certain trusted users with network access crash the database, stopping services that depend on it until it is restarted.

Exploitation
Remote Authenticated
Attacker needs
High Privilege
Complexity
Low
Impact
Denial Of Service
Component
Application
Class
Denial of service
Remediation
Upgrade
Effort
Medium
Patch risk
Low

What it actually does

The flaw in the MySQL Server Optimizer component permits a high-privileged network attacker to trigger repeated server hangs or crashes, resulting in a complete denial of service for the database instance.

Why it matters to the business

Successful exploitation leads to unplanned database downtime that can interrupt application availability, delay business operations, and require emergency recovery efforts, especially in environments running the affected 8.0.x or 8.3.x releases.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker who already possesses high-privileged network credentials connects to the MySQL Server using any supported protocol, submits specially crafted optimizer-related requests, and causes the server process to hang or terminate repeatedly.

How to fix it

Upgrade MySQL Server to a version that contains the fix for this optimizer issue; apply Oracle's latest security updates as soon as they become available and verify the installed version after patching.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm the running MySQL version is newer than 8.0.36 and 8.3.0, review release notes for the applied update, and perform controlled load testing that exercises optimizer paths to ensure stability.

Typical attack path

  1. Obtain high-privileged network credentials for the MySQL instance
  2. Establish a connection via one of the supported protocols
  3. Issue crafted queries that exercise the vulnerable Optimizer code path
  4. Repeat until the server enters a hung or crashed state

How to detect it

Inspect MySQL error logs and system crash dumps for repeated optimizer-related terminations; correlate high-privileged connection events with abrupt server restarts in the hours preceding incidents.

  • mysqld: optimizer-related crash
  • InnoDB: Database was not shut down normally
  • mysqld_safe: mysqld restarted

What your security team should do

  • Prioritize patching all internet-facing and internal MySQL 8.0/8.3 instances within the next maintenance window
  • Restrict network access to the database ports to only trusted management hosts
  • Review and minimize the number of accounts holding high privileges
  • Enable and monitor MySQL error and slow-query logs for sudden crash patterns

The record

Vulnerability in the MySQL Server product of Oracle MySQL (component: Server: Optimizer). 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).

Affected packages

Ecosystem Package Introduced Fixed
Chainguard mysql-8.0 0 8.0.38-r0
Chainguard mysql-8.0-bitnami-compat 0 8.0.38-r0
Chainguard mysql-8.0-client 0 8.0.38-r0
Chainguard mysql-8.0-dev 0 8.0.38-r0
Chainguard mysql-8.0-iamguarded-compat 0 8.0.38-r0
Chainguard mysql-8.0-oci-entrypoint 0 8.0.38-r0
Chainguard mysql-8.0-oci-entrypoint-compat 0 8.0.38-r0
Chainguard percona-server-8.3 0 8.3.0-r1
Chainguard percona-server-8.3-dev 0 8.3.0-r1
Chainguard percona-server-8.3-oci-entrypoint 0 8.3.0-r1
Chainguard percona-server-8.3-oci-entrypoint-compat 0 8.3.0-r1
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS mysql-5.5 0 No fix
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS percona-server-5.6 0 No fix
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS percona-xtradb-cluster-5.6 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS mariadb-10.3 0 No fix
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS mysql-8.0 0 8.0.37-0ubuntu0.20.04.3
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS mysql-8.0 0 8.0.37-0ubuntu0.22.04.3
Ubuntu:23.10 mysql-8.0 0 8.0.37-0ubuntu0.23.10.2
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS mysql-8.0 0 8.0.37-0ubuntu0.24.04.1
Ubuntu:24.10 mysql-8.0 0 8.0.37-1
Ubuntu:Pro:14.04:LTS mysql-5.5 0 No fix
Ubuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS mysql-5.7 0 No fix
Ubuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS percona-server-5.6 0 No fix
Ubuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS percona-xtradb-cluster-5.6 0 No fix
Ubuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS mysql-5.7 0 No fix
Wolfi percona-server-8.3 0 8.3.0-r1
Wolfi percona-server-8.3-dev 0 8.3.0-r1
Wolfi percona-server-8.3-oci-entrypoint 0 8.3.0-r1
Wolfi percona-server-8.3-oci-entrypoint-compat 0 8.3.0-r1

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