CVE-2024-57619

Executive Summary

CVE-2024-57619 is a denial-of-service (DoS) vulnerability in the MonetDB Server v11.47.11, specifically within the atom_get_int component. An attacker can exploit this flaw by sending crafted SQL statements, causing the server to crash or become unresponsive. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 0.0 (likely unassigned or placeholder), but the potential impact on availability is significant for any organization relying on MonetDB for database operations. No public proof-of-concept (PoC) or patch is currently available, making this a high-priority issue for monitoring and mitigation.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

• CVSS Score: 0.0 (Unassigned)
• Attack Vector (AV): Network (likely)
• Attack Complexity (AC): Low (likely)
• Privileges Required (PR): None (likely)
• User Interaction (UI): None (likely)
• Scope (S): Unchanged
• Confidentiality (C): None
• Integrity (I): None
• Availability (A): High
• Threat Level: Medium (due to DoS impact and lack of patch)

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability resides in the atom_get_int function within MonetDB's SQL parser. This function is responsible for converting SQL literals into integer values. When a specially crafted SQL statement is processed, the function fails to handle an edge case, leading to an infinite loop, memory exhaustion, or a segmentation fault. The exact mechanism is not publicly documented, but based on the description, it likely involves an integer overflow, a malformed string, or a recursive parsing error.

The attack surface is the SQL query interface, which is typically exposed over TCP port 50000 (default MonetDB port). An unauthenticated attacker can send a single malicious query to trigger the DoS.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Since no patch is available, a direct comparison is not possible. However, the vulnerable code path is in gdk_atoms.c or similar source files handling type conversion. The fix would likely involve adding input validation, bounds checking, and safe integer parsing routines.

Vulnerable Code (Conceptual):

int atom_get_int(const char *s, int *val) {
    // No validation of input length or format
    *val = atoi(s);  // Unsafe, can cause undefined behavior
    return 0;
}

Patched Code (Hypothetical):

int atom_get_int(const char *s, int *val) {
    char *endptr;
    long result = strtol(s, &endptr, 10);
    if (endptr == s || *endptr != '\0' || result < INT_MIN || result > INT_MAX) {
        return -1;  // Error
    }
    *val = (int)result;
    return 0;
}

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team

1. Setup: Deploy MonetDB v11.47.11 in a Docker container.

   docker run -d --name monetdb -p 50000:5000 monetdb/monetdb:11.47.11
   

2. Exploit: Use a crafted SQL query to trigger the DoS.

   -- Example: Send a very long integer or malformed string
   SELECT CAST('9999999999999999999999999999999999999999' AS INTEGER);
   

   Or use a recursive query:

   -- Hypothetical: Exploit atom_get_int with a specially crafted string
   SELECT * FROM sys.table WHERE id = 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF;
   

3. Automation: Use a script to send the payload repeatedly.

   import socket
   s = socket.socket()
   s.connect(('target', 50000))
   payload = "SELECT CAST('A' * 1000000 AS INTEGER);\n"
   s.send(payload.encode())
   s.close()
   

Blue Team

1. Detection: Monitor for abnormal SQL queries with extremely long integers or malformed syntax.
2. Mitigation: Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or database proxy to filter suspicious queries.
3. Response: If DoS occurs, restart the MonetDB service and block the offending IP.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• Network: TCP connections to port 50000 with SQL queries containing extremely long numeric strings.
• Logs: MonetDB error logs showing segmentation faults or "out of memory" errors in the atom_get_int function.
• System: High CPU or memory usage by the monetdbd process.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2024_57619_MonetDB_DoS {
    meta:
        description = "Detects crafted SQL queries targeting atom_get_int in MonetDB"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        reference = "CVE-2024-57619"
    strings:
        $sql1 = /SELECT\s+.*CAST\s*\(\s*['"][0-9]{50,}['"]\s*AS\s*INTEGER\s*\)/i
        $sql2 = /SELECT\s+.*\d{100,}/i
        $sql3 = /0x[0-9a-fA-F]{20,}/i
    condition:
        any of them
}

Sigma Rule

title: CVE-2024-57619 MonetDB DoS Attempt
id: 8a3f7c2e-5d1b-4a9f-8c6e-2b1d3f4a5c6d
status: experimental
description: Detects SQL queries with extremely long integers targeting MonetDB
author: Valters IT
logsource:
    category: database
    product: monetdb
detection:
    selection:
        query|contains:
            - 'CAST('
            - 'AS INTEGER'
        query|re: '[0-9]{50,}'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate large integer operations (rare)
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert tcp $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HOME_NET 50000 (msg:"CVE-2024-57619 MonetDB DoS Attempt"; flow:to_server,established; content:"SELECT"; nocase; content:"CAST"; distance:0; nocase; content:"AS INTEGER"; distance:0; nocase; pcre:"/[0-9]{50,}/"; classtype:attempted-dos; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

1. Immediate: Restrict network access to MonetDB port 50000 using firewall rules. Only allow trusted IPs.
2. Short-term: Implement input validation at the application layer to reject SQL queries with excessively long integers or malformed syntax.
3. Long-term: Monitor the MonetDB project for an official patch. Consider switching to a different database if no patch is released.
4. Workaround: Use a database proxy (e.g., ProxySQL) to filter and sanitize queries before they reach MonetDB.

Valters IT signature: This report is generated for educational and defensive purposes only. Unauthorized exploitation is illegal.