Description
MySQL 5.0.51a allows local users to bypass certain privilege checks by calling CREATE TABLE on a MyISAM table with modified (1) DATA DIRECTORY or (2) INDEX DIRECTORY arguments that are associated with symlinks within pathnames for subdirectories of the MySQL home data directory, which are followed when tables are created in the future. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2008-2079.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 4.0 | mysql-dfsg-5.0 | 5.0.32-7etch6 | DSA-1608-1 |
Advisories 1
- DSA-1608-1 mysql-dfsg-5.0 - authorization bypass Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
References
- MDVSA-2009:094 vendor-advisory
- USN-671-1 vendor-advisory
- 32769 third-party-advisory
- [oss-security] 20080909 Re: CVE request: MySQL incomplete fix for CVE-2008-2079 mailing-list
- mysql-myisam-symlinks-security-bypass(45648) vdb-entry
- [oss-security] 20080916 Re: CVE request: MySQL incomplete fix for CVE-2008-2079 mailing-list
- 32759 third-party-advisory
- SUSE-SR:2008:025 vendor-advisory
- http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=480292#25