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Mysql ServerDatabase / datastore · Oracle

CVE-2023-21869

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-01-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 8.0.31 or later.
See remediation →
61/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 · unedited
Vulnerability in the MySQL Server product of Oracle MySQL (component: InnoDB). Supported versions that are affected are 8.0.31 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 as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of MySQL Server accessible data. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 5.5 (Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H).

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 confidence

A vulnerability in the InnoDB storage engine of MySQL Server 8.0.31 and prior allows high-privileged attackers with network access to cause denial of service through crashes or hangs, and potentially achieve unauthorized data manipulation (insert/update/delete). The flaw is exploitable remotely but requires high-level database privileges.

MitigationUpgrade MySQL Server to a version beyond 8.0.31 (or apply Oracle's corresponding patch) to address the InnoDB vulnerability. In the interim, restrict network access to MySQL ports and limit high-privilege account exposure.

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
Mysql ServerDatabase / datastore
Affected:>= 8.0.0, <= 8.0.31

CVSS 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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Determine MySQL Server version
    Run the command: mysql -V or connect to MySQL and execute SELECT VERSION();
    Affected if The version displayed is 8.0.31 or any version from 8.0.0 up to and including 8.0.31 (for example, 8.0.30, 8.0.28, 8.0.25, etc.)
  2. Confirm InnoDB storage engine is in use
    Connect to MySQL and execute: SHOW ENGINES; Look for InnoDB in the output with 'Support' set to 'YES' or 'DEFAULT'.
    Affected if InnoDB is enabled (Support = YES or DEFAULT) as this is the vulnerable component
  3. Verify MySQL is listening on network interfaces
    Check MySQL configuration or running processes: Look for bind-address in my.cnf/my.ini, or run: netstat -tlnp | grep 3306 (or your configured port).
    Affected if MySQL is bound to a network-accessible IP address (not 127.0.0.1 only), indicating remote network exposure
  4. Identify high-privilege accounts with network access
    Connect to MySQL and execute: SELECT user, host, plugin FROM mysql.user WHERE_priv='Y' OR Super_priv='Y'; Also check: SELECT user, host FROM mysql.db WHERE db='mysql' AND select_priv='Y' AND insert_priv='Y' AND update_priv='Y' AND delete_priv='Y';
    Affected if There are database users with high privileges (root, DBA-level, or users with INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE on critical tables) accessible from non-localhost hosts

You are affected if your MySQL Server version is 8.0.0 through 8.0.31, InnoDB is enabled, the server is network-accessible, and high-privilege accounts exist that can be reached over the network.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 8.0.31
Interim mitigation

Upgrade MySQL Server to a version beyond 8.0.31 (or apply Oracle's corresponding patch) to address the InnoDB vulnerability. In the interim, restrict network access to MySQL ports and limit high-privilege account exposure.

Recommended fix High confidence

MySQL Server 8.0.32 or later

  1. 1. Backup your MySQL database using mysqldump or your preferred backup method.
  2. 2. Stop the MySQL Server service.
  3. 3. Update the MySQL Server package to version 8.0.32 or later using your system's package manager (e.g., yum update mysql-server, apt-get install mysql-server, or equivalent).
  4. 4. After installation, start the MySQL Server service.
  5. 5. Run mysql_upgrade to check and repair tables if necessary.
  6. 6. Verify the MySQL Server version using: SELECT VERSION();
  7. 7. Test your applications to ensure functionality remains intact.
Caveat Review Oracle MySQL 8.0.32 release notes for any compatibility changes or deprecations before upgrading, particularly regarding InnoDB changes and replication features.

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Mysql Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-21869 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data