CVE-2024-57630

Executive Summary

CVE-2024-57630 is a denial-of-service (DoS) vulnerability in the MonetDB Server v11.49.1, specifically within the exps_card component. An attacker can exploit this flaw by sending crafted SQL statements, causing the database server to crash or become unresponsive. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 0.0 (likely unassigned or placeholder), but the impact is a complete service disruption. No public proof-of-concept (PoC) or patch is currently available. The EPSS score is 0.0%, indicating low exploitation activity in the wild, but the risk remains for unpatched systems.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

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

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability resides in the exps_card component of MonetDB Server v11.49.1. This component is responsible for handling SQL expressions and cardinality estimation. When a specially crafted SQL statement is processed, it triggers an infinite loop, memory exhaustion, or a null pointer dereference, leading to a crash. The exact mechanism is not publicly documented, but it likely involves a flaw in how the server parses or evaluates complex SQL expressions, causing an unhandled exception or resource exhaustion.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

No patched version is available. The vulnerable code is in the exps_card component of MonetDB Server v11.49.1. Without a patch, the exact code difference cannot be provided. However, the fix would likely involve adding input validation, bounds checking, or exception handling for SQL expressions processed by exps_card.

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Attacker)

1. Setup: Install MonetDB Server v11.49.1 on a target system.
2. Craft Payload: Create a SQL statement that triggers the vulnerability. Example (hypothetical):

   SELECT * FROM (SELECT 1 UNION ALL SELECT 2) AS t WHERE t.col IN (SELECT 1 FROM generate_series(1,1000000));
   

3. Execute: Send the crafted SQL statement to the MonetDB server via a client connection.
4. Observe: The server becomes unresponsive or crashes, causing a denial of service.

Blue Team (Defender)

1. Monitor: Watch for unusual SQL queries that cause high CPU or memory usage.
2. Rate Limit: Implement connection rate limiting and query complexity thresholds.
3. WAF: Use a Web Application Firewall to block suspicious SQL patterns.
4. Backup: Ensure regular backups and failover mechanisms are in place.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• Network: Unusual SQL queries with complex subqueries or large UNION operations.
• System: MonetDB server process crash logs or high memory/CPU usage.
• Logs: Error messages related to exps_card or SQL expression evaluation failures.
• File: Core dumps or crash reports in the MonetDB log directory.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2024_57630_MonetDB_DoS {
    meta:
        description = "Detects potential DoS exploit attempts against MonetDB CVE-2024-57630"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        reference = "CVE-2024-57630"
    strings:
        $sql1 = "SELECT" ascii nocase
        $sql2 = "UNION" ascii nocase
        $sql3 = "generate_series" ascii nocase
        $sql4 = "exps_card" ascii nocase
    condition:
        all of ($sql*) and filesize < 10KB
}

Sigma Rule

title: MonetDB DoS Exploit Attempt
id: 8a9b7c6d-5e4f-3a2b-1c0d-9e8f7a6b5c4d
status: experimental
description: Detects SQL queries that may exploit CVE-2024-57630 in MonetDB
author: Valters IT
date: 2025-04-10
logsource:
    category: application
    product: monetdb
detection:
    selection:
        Query|contains:
            - 'UNION'
            - 'generate_series'
            - 'exps_card'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate complex queries
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert tcp $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HOME_NET 50000 (msg:"CVE-2024-57630 MonetDB DoS Attempt"; flow:to_server,established; content:"SELECT"; nocase; content:"UNION"; nocase; content:"generate_series"; nocase; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

• Immediate: Disable remote access to MonetDB if not required. Use firewall rules to restrict access to trusted IPs only.
• Short-term: Monitor for patches from MonetDB. Apply input validation and query complexity limits.
• Long-term: Upgrade to a patched version once available. Consider using a database proxy or WAF to filter malicious queries.
• Workaround: If possible, disable the exps_card component or limit its functionality via configuration.

Valters IT
Senior DevSecOps & Cyber Threat Intelligence Expert