CVE-2014-7210: Overly Privileged MySQL User in pdns-backend-mysql

Overview

The CVE-2014-7210 is a severe vulnerability that originates from the pdns package specifically from Debian in versions before 3.3.1-1. This vulnerability presents a significant risk as it allows the creation of an overly privileged MySQL user, thereby granting extensive database permissions to the pdns user. As such, this could lead to potential system compromise or data leakage. The vulnerability is particularly relevant to organizations or individuals who use or rely on the affected versions of the pdns-backend-mysql package.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2014-7210
Severity: Critical (CVSS: 9.8)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise, Potential data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

pdns-backend-mysql | Versions before 3.3.1-1

How the Exploit Works

The exploit works by leveraging the overly privileged MySQL user created in the affected versions of pdns-backend-mysql. An attacker could potentially utilize these extended permissions to manipulate the database, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage. The granted permissions are wide enough that the attacker could execute arbitrary SQL commands, alter, drop or create new tables, or even read and modify data.

Conceptual Example Code

An example of how this vulnerability might be exploited is by an attacker executing a malicious SQL query leveraging the overly privileged pdns user. In a conceptual level, it might look like this:

-- Using the pdns user's permissions
mysql -u pdns -p
-- Executing a potentially damaging SQL command
DROP DATABASE critical_data;

In this conceptual example, the attacker is leveraging the pdns user’s overly extensive permissions to delete an entire database. It’s important to note that the specific code will vary based on the attacker’s intentions and the specific configurations and schemas of the database.