CVE-2025-50088 Overview
CVE-2025-50088 is a denial-of-service vulnerability in the InnoDB storage engine of Oracle MySQL Server. The flaw affects MySQL Server versions 8.0.0-8.0.41, 8.4.0-8.4.4, and 9.0.0-9.2.0. A high-privileged attacker with network access via multiple protocols can trigger a hang or repeatable crash, resulting in complete denial of service. Oracle addressed the issue in the Critical Patch Update released in July 2025. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-400 (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption).
Critical Impact
Successful exploitation causes a complete denial of service through server hang or repeatable crash of MySQL Server instances.
Affected Products
- Oracle MySQL Server 8.0.0 through 8.0.41
- Oracle MySQL Server 8.4.0 through 8.4.4
- Oracle MySQL Server 9.0.0 through 9.2.0
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-07-15 - CVE-2025-50088 published to NVD as part of Oracle Critical Patch Update July 2025
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-50088
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the InnoDB storage engine, the default transactional storage engine for MySQL. InnoDB manages tablespaces, buffer pools, and undo logs, making it central to database availability. This flaw allows an authenticated attacker to cause resource exhaustion or an unrecoverable server state.
The impact is limited to availability. Confidentiality and integrity of stored data are not affected. However, complete server unavailability disrupts dependent applications and can cascade into broader outages. Oracle categorizes the issue as easily exploitable once the required privilege level is obtained.
Root Cause
The root cause is uncontrolled resource consumption within InnoDB, aligned with CWE-400. Oracle has not published the specific code path or crash primitive. The behavior manifests as either a process hang or a repeatable crash of the mysqld daemon, indicating the condition can be re-triggered by replaying the same input.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires network access and high database privileges. The attacker connects over one of MySQL's supported protocols and issues crafted operations that reach the vulnerable InnoDB code path. No user interaction is required, and the attack does not cross a trust boundary beyond the compromised or malicious high-privileged account.
Because the required privilege level is high, real-world exploitation depends on prior credential compromise, insider abuse, or privilege escalation from a lower-privileged account. Verified technical details and proof-of-concept code are not publicly available. See the Oracle Critical Patch Update July 2025 advisory for vendor details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-50088
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected mysqld process crashes or restarts logged in error.log or via systemd journal
- Repeated server hangs correlated with specific client sessions or repeated queries from the same authenticated account
- Abnormal spikes in InnoDB buffer pool, undo log, or thread activity preceding a crash
Detection Strategies
- Enable the MySQL general query log or audit log to capture the sequence of statements executed by high-privileged accounts prior to any crash
- Correlate database crash events with authentication logs to identify the source account and network origin
- Alert on core dumps or mysqld exit codes indicating abnormal termination
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor administrative and replication accounts for unusual query patterns or connections from unexpected hosts
- Track MySQL uptime metrics and generate alerts on unplanned restarts across production and replica nodes
- Ingest MySQL error, audit, and slow query logs into a centralized SIEM for retention and correlation with authentication telemetry
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-50088
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the Oracle Critical Patch Update from July 2025 to all affected MySQL Server instances
- Inventory MySQL deployments and identify instances running versions 8.0.0-8.0.41, 8.4.0-8.4.4, or 9.0.0-9.2.0
- Audit accounts holding high database privileges and revoke unnecessary SUPER, PROCESS, or administrative grants
- Restrict network exposure of MySQL listeners to trusted application and management subnets only
Patch Information
Oracle released fixes as part of the Oracle Critical Patch Update July 2025. Administrators should upgrade to a MySQL Server release that includes the July 2025 CPU fixes for the 8.0, 8.4 LTS, and 9.x branches. Verify the running version with SELECT VERSION(); after upgrade.
Workarounds
- Enforce least-privilege on all MySQL accounts and remove administrative rights from application service users
- Place MySQL behind network access controls and require authenticated bastion access for administrative sessions
- Enable MySQL audit logging to record privileged operations and support forensic investigation if a crash occurs
- Configure automatic service recovery through systemd or an equivalent supervisor to reduce downtime during exploitation attempts
# Verify MySQL Server version after patching
mysql -u root -p -e "SELECT VERSION();"
# Review accounts with high privileges
mysql -u root -p -e "SELECT user, host FROM mysql.user WHERE Super_priv='Y' OR Process_priv='Y';"
# Restrict bind address to trusted interface in my.cnf
# [mysqld]
# bind-address = 10.0.0.10
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
