# CVE-2023-21860: Privilege escalation in MySQL Cluster

> High-privileged attackers with physical network access can compromise MySQL Cluster, leading to full takeover.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 18 Jan 2023
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-w7x5-g6gj-cxw9

## What is CVE-2023-21860?

CVE-2023-21860 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Oracle Mysql Cluster, published on 18 Jan 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Vulnerability in the MySQL Cluster product of Oracle MySQL (component: Cluster: Internal Operations).  Supported versions that are affected are 7.4.38 and prior, 7.5.28 and prior, 7.6.24 and prior and  8.0.31 and prior. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows high privileged attacker with access to the physical communication segment attached to the hardware where the MySQL Cluster executes to compromise MySQL Cluster.  Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of MySQL Cluster. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 6.3 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts).  CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Weakness: CWE-284 (Improper Access Control)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-21860?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Oracle Mysql Cluster.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-21860?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-21860 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-21860 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-21860 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Oracle Mysql Cluster

- [CVE-2026-60163](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-60163/): Privilege escalation in MySQL Cluster (high 8.4)
- [CVE-2026-60592](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-60592/): Denial of service in MySQL Cluster (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2026-60315](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-60315/): Information disclosure in MySQL Cluster (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2026-101772](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-101772/): Vulnerability in the MySQL Server, MySQL Cluster product of Oracle MySQL (component: Client programs). (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2026-70724](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-70724/): Auth bypass in MySQL Cluster (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-21860 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-21860 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Oracle Mysql Cluster, published on 18 Jan 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-21860 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Oracle Mysql Cluster. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-21860/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-21860/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-21860
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-21860
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-21860

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-21860/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.