Description
MySQL before 5.0.67 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 originally associated with pathnames without symlinks, and that can point to tables created at a future time at which a pathname is modified to contain a symlink to a subdirectory of the MySQL home data directory. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2008-4097.
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 | 5.0.32-7etch8 | DSA-1662-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 4 | mysql +3 | 4.1.22-2.el4_8.3 | RHSA-2010:0110 |
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Rhel Application Stack 2 | httpd +2 | 2.2.11-2.el5s2 | RHSA-2009:1067 |
| Red Hat Rhel Application Stack 2 | mod_jk +1 | 1.2.28-2.el5s2 | RHSA-2009:1067 |
| Red Hat Rhel Application Stack 2 | mod_ssl | 1:2.2.11-2.el5s2 | RHSA-2009:1067 |
| Red Hat Rhel Application Stack 2 | mysql +6 | 5.0.79-2.el5s2 | RHSA-2009:1067 |
| Red Hat Rhel Application Stack 2 | mysql-connector-odbc | 3.51.27r695-1.el5s2 | RHSA-2009:1067 |
| Red Hat Rhel Application Stack 2 | perl-DBD-MySQL | 4.010-1.el5s2 | RHSA-2009:1067 |
| Red Hat Rhel Application Stack 2 | perl-DBD-Pg | 1.49-5.el5s2 | RHSA-2009:1067 |
| Red Hat Rhel Application Stack 2 | php +18 | 5.2.9-2.el5s2 | RHSA-2009:1067 |
| Red Hat Rhel Application Stack 2 | postgresql +11 | 8.2.13-2.el5s2 | RHSA-2009:1067 |
| Red Hat Rhel Application Stack 2 | postgresql-jdbc | 8.2.509-2jpp.el5s2 | RHSA-2009:1067 |
| Red Hat Rhel Application Stack 2 | postgresqlclient81 | 8.1.17-1.el5s2 | RHSA-2009:1067 |
Advisories 3
- RHSA-2010:0110 Red Hat Security Advisory: mysql security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 26, 2026
- DSA-1662-1 mysql-dfsg-5.0 - authorization bypass Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- RHSA-2009:1067 Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat Application Stack v2.3 security and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Nov 22, 2025
References
- MDVSA-2009:094 vendor-advisory
- USN-1397-1 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2009:1067 vendor-advisory
- http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=480292#25
- USN-671-1 vendor-advisory
- 38517 third-party-advisory
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:10591 vdb-entry signature
- USN-897-1 vendor-advisory
- 32769 third-party-advisory
- [oss-security] 20080909 Re: CVE request: MySQL incomplete fix for CVE-2008-2079 mailing-list
- [oss-security] 20080916 Re: CVE request: MySQL incomplete fix for CVE-2008-2079 mailing-list
- 32759 third-party-advisory
- mysql-myisam-symlink-security-bypass(45649) vdb-entry
- DSA-1662 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2010:0110 vendor-advisory
- http://bugs.mysql.com/bug.php?id=32167
- SUSE-SR:2008:025 vendor-advisory
- 32578 third-party-advisory