MySQLDatabase / datastore · Oracle
CVE-2012-5383
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedUntrusted search path vulnerability in the installation functionality in Oracle MySQL 5.5.28, when installed in the top-level C:\ directory, might allow local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse DLL in the "C:\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.5\bin" directory, which may be added to the PATH system environment variable by an administrator, as demonstrated by a Trojan horse wlbsctrl.dll file used by the "IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules" system service in Windows Vista SP1, Windows Server 2008 SP2, Windows 7 SP1, and Windows 8 Release Preview. NOTE: CVE disputes this issue because the unsafe PATH is established only by a separate administrative action that is not a default part of the MySQL installation
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceUntrusted search path vulnerability in MySQL 5.5.28 when installed in the C:\ root directory. If an administrator manually adds the MySQL bin directory (C:\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.5\bin) to the system PATH, a local attacker can place a malicious DLL (such as wlbsctrl.dll) in that directory to achieve privilege escalation via DLL hijacking.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
MySQLDatabase / datastore
= 5.5.28CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- High
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:H/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed MySQL versionCheck the MySQL version by running 'mysql --version' or inspect the MySQL service details. Look for version 5.5.28 specifically.Affected if The installed version is exactly 5.5.28
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Locate MySQL installation directoryCheck the MySQL service binary path in Windows Services, or look for the MySQL installation folder. Common locations include C:\Program Files\MySQL\ or C:\MySQL\.Affected if The MySQL installation directory is C:\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.5\ (the root-level path)
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Verify if MySQL bin is in system PATHOpen System Properties > Environment Variables and inspect the System PATH variable. Search for entries containing 'C:\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.5\bin'.Affected if The PATH contains C:\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.5\bin or similar path pointing to the root installation
A user is affected if MySQL version 5.5.28 is installed at C:\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.5\ and that bin directory is present in the system PATH environment variable.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataRemove the MySQL bin directory from the system PATH environment variable. If MySQL must be in PATH, ensure it is installed in a standard location (not C:\ root) and verify no untrusted directories are in PATH.
Fix this in MySQL
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation0.5 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA0.5 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-5383 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-5383 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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