CVE-2024-57624

Executive Summary

CVE-2024-57624 is a denial-of-service (DoS) vulnerability in the exp_atom component of MonetDB Server v11.49.1. An attacker can trigger a crash or resource exhaustion by sending crafted SQL statements, leading to service disruption. No public exploit code or patch is currently available. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 0.0 (unscored) and an EPSS score of 0.0%, indicating low exploitation likelihood at this time.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

• CVSS Score: 0.0 (Unscored)
• Attack Vector: Network (likely)
• Attack Complexity: Low
• Privileges Required: None
• User Interaction: None
• Scope: Unchanged
• Confidentiality Impact: None
• Integrity Impact: None
• Availability Impact: High
• Threat Level: Medium (due to DoS potential)

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability resides in the exp_atom component, which handles expression atoms (e.g., constants, column references) during SQL parsing and evaluation. A crafted SQL statement can cause an infinite loop, memory corruption, or segmentation fault in this component, leading to a denial of service. The exact mechanism is not publicly documented, but it likely involves improper validation of input types or malformed expressions.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

No patched version is available. The vulnerable code is in the exp_atom function within MonetDB's SQL backend. A hypothetical fix would involve adding input validation and bounds checking for atom expressions.

Vulnerable (pseudo-code):

atom *exp_atom(atom *a) {
    // No validation of atom type or value
    return a;
}

Patched (hypothetical):

atom *exp_atom(atom *a) {
    if (a == NULL || a->type == INVALID) {
        return NULL; // or raise error
    }
    // Additional validation
    return a;
}

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team

1. Setup: Deploy MonetDB Server v11.49.1 on a test network.
2. Craft Payload: Send a crafted SQL statement targeting the exp_atom component. Example (hypothetical):

   SELECT * FROM table WHERE column = (SELECT 1 UNION SELECT 2);
   

3. Execute: Use a SQL client to send the payload repeatedly.
4. Observe: Monitor server crash or unresponsiveness.

Blue Team

1. Detection: Monitor for unusual SQL queries with nested subqueries or malformed expressions.
2. Mitigation: Apply network segmentation and rate-limit SQL connections.
3. Forensics: Collect server logs and core dumps for analysis.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• Network: Repeated SQL queries with complex nested expressions.
• System: MonetDB server process crash or high CPU/memory usage.
• Logs: Error messages related to exp_atom or segmentation faults in MonetDB logs.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2024_57624_MonetDB_DoS {
    meta:
        description = "Detects crafted SQL statements targeting exp_atom in MonetDB"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
    strings:
        $sql1 = "SELECT" ascii nocase
        $sql2 = "UNION" ascii nocase
        $sql3 = "exp_atom" ascii nocase
    condition:
        all of ($sql*) and filesize < 10KB
}

Sigma Rule

title: MonetDB DoS via Crafted SQL
id: 8a9b7c6d-5e4f-3a2b-1c0d-9e8f7a6b5c4d
status: experimental
description: Detects SQL queries that may trigger CVE-2024-57624
logsource:
    category: application
    product: monetdb
detection:
    selection:
        Query|contains|all:
            - 'SELECT'
            - 'UNION'
            - 'exp_atom'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate complex queries
level: medium

Suricata Rule

alert tcp any any -> any 50000 (msg:"CVE-2024-57624 MonetDB DoS Attempt"; flow:to_server,established; content:"SELECT"; nocase; content:"UNION"; nocase; content:"exp_atom"; nocase; classtype:attempted-dos; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

• Immediate: Disable remote SQL access if not required. Use a WAF to filter suspicious SQL patterns.
• Short-term: Monitor MonetDB official channels for patches. Apply network segmentation.
• Long-term: Upgrade to a patched version when available. Implement input validation in application layer.

Valters IT
DevSecOps & Cyber Threat Intelligence Expert