CVE-2016-6664

HIGH

Oracle MySQL, MariaDB, Percona Server, Percona XtraDB Cluster - Privilege Escalation via Symlink Attack

Title source: llm

Exploitation Summary

EIP tracks 1 public exploit for CVE-2016-6664. PoCs published by Dawid Golunski.

AI-analyzed exploit summary This exploit leverages unsafe error log handling in MySQL/MariaDB/PerconaDB to escalate privileges from the mysql user to root by manipulating the error log file to create a symlink to /etc/ld.so.preload and injecting a shared library that sets SUID permissions on a backdoor shell.

Description

mysqld_safe in Oracle MySQL through 5.5.51, 5.6.x through 5.6.32, and 5.7.x through 5.7.14; MariaDB; Percona Server before 5.5.51-38.2, 5.6.x before 5.6.32-78-1, and 5.7.x before 5.7.14-8; and Percona XtraDB Cluster before 5.5.41-37.0, 5.6.x before 5.6.32-25.17, and 5.7.x before 5.7.14-26.17, when using file-based logging, allows local users with access to the mysql account to gain root privileges via a symlink attack on error logs and possibly other files.

Exploits (1)

exploitdb WORKING POC

by Dawid Golunski · bashlocallinux

https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40679

View Code ZIP pw:eip

This exploit leverages unsafe error log handling in MySQL/MariaDB/PerconaDB to escalate privileges from the mysql user to root by manipulating the error log file to create a symlink to /etc/ld.so.preload and injecting a shared library that sets SUID permissions on a backdoor shell.

Classification

Working Poc 100%

Attack Type

Lpe

Complexity

Moderate

Reliability

Reliable

Target: MySQL, MariaDB, PerconaDB (versions affected by CVE-2016-6664)

Auth required

Prerequisites: Access to mysql user account · File-based logging enabled (not syslog) · Write permissions to MySQL error log

MITRE ATT&CK

T1068 - Exploitation for Privilege Escalation T1548.001 - Setuid and Setgid

devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →

References (15)

Core 15

Core References

Third Party Advisory vendor-advisory x_refsource_redhat

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2749.html

Mailing List, Third Party Advisory mailing-list x_refsource_fulldisc

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/Nov/4

Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry vdb-entry x_refsource_bid

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93612

Vendor Advisory x_refsource_confirm

https://www.percona.com/blog/2016/11/02/percona-responds-to-cve-2016-6663-and-cve-2016-6664/

Third Party Advisory vendor-advisory x_refsource_redhat

https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:0574

Third Party Advisory vendor-advisory x_refsource_gentoo

https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201702-18

Patch, Vendor Advisory x_refsource_confirm

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpuoct2016-2881722.html

Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry mailing-list x_refsource_bugtraq

http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/539695/100/0/threaded

Third Party Advisory vendor-advisory x_refsource_redhat

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2130.html

Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry x_refsource_misc

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/139491/MySQL-MariaDB-PerconaDB-Root-Privilege-Escalation.html

Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry exploit x_refsource_exploit-db

https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40679/

Exploit, Third Party Advisory x_refsource_misc

http://legalhackers.com/advisories/MySQL-Maria-Percona-RootPrivEsc-CVE-2016-6664-5617-Exploit.html

Third Party Advisory vendor-advisory x_refsource_redhat

https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:0279

Third Party Advisory vendor-advisory x_refsource_debian

http://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3770

Third Party Advisory vendor-advisory x_refsource_redhat

https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:2192

Scores

CVSS v3 7.0

EPSS 0.0308

EPSS Percentile 86.0%

Attack Vector LOCAL

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Details

CWE

CWE-59

Status published

Products (4)

mariadb/mariadb 5.5.0 - 5.5.54

oracle/mysql 5.5.0 - 5.5.51

percona/percona_server 5.5 - 5.5.51-38.2

percona/xtradb_cluster 5.5 - 5.5.41-37.0

Published Dec 13, 2016

Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026