MariaDB Connector/J: Cleartext password disclosure to a MITM on the initial-handshake
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-55856 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | GitHub_M |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-08-28 23:17:08 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-08-28 23:17:08 UTC |
| Description | MariaDB Connector/J is used to connect applications developed in Java to MariaDB and MySQL databases. Prior to 2.7.14, 3.3.5, 3.4.3, and 3.5.9, when a Java application connects with sslMode=verify-full or sslMode=verify-ca, supplies a password, and does not configure serverSslCert or trustStore, Connector/J can accept an untrusted self-signed certificate through the fallbackToSystemTrustStore=true ephemeral trust manager and record its certFingerprint for later identity binding. The OK-packet and authentication-switch paths enforce the certificate fingerprint, but the initial-handshake path does not. HandshakeResponse.encode() can therefore build and send a mysql_clear_password response before checking certFingerprint != null && !isMitMProof(), sslMode, or whether the authentication plugin is resistant to a man-in-the-middle, and the initial path also bypasses restrictedAuth. An active man-in-the-middle or hostile server can present a self-signed certificate, claim to be MariaDB, select mysql_clear_password as the initial authentication plugin, and receive the full database password before the connection is rejected. This issue is fixed in versions 2.7.14, 3.3.5, 3.4.3, and 3.5.9. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v3.1 5.9 MEDIUM from [email protected]
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Problem Types: CWE-522 | CWE-522 CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | [email protected] | Secondary | 5.9 | MEDIUM | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N |
| 3.1 | CNA | DECLARED | 5.9 | MEDIUM | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N |
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
Attack Vector
NetworkAttack Complexity
HighPrivileges Required
NoneUser Interaction
NoneScope
UnchangedConfidentiality
HighIntegrity
NoneAvailability
NoneCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | Mariadb-corporation | Mariadb-connector-j | affected < 2.7.14 | Not specified |
| CNA | Mariadb-corporation | Mariadb-connector-j | affected >= 3.0.0, < 3.3.5 | Not specified |
| CNA | Mariadb-corporation | Mariadb-connector-j | affected >= 3.4.0, < 3.4.3 | Not specified |
| CNA | Mariadb-corporation | Mariadb-connector-j | affected >= 3.5.0, < 3.5.9 | Not specified |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| github.com/mariadb-corporation/mariadb-connector-j/commit/d90b9872322c76... | [email protected] | github.com | |
| hackerone.com/reports/3777370 | [email protected] | hackerone.com | |
| jira.mariadb.org/browse/CONJ-1325 | [email protected] | jira.mariadb.org | |
| github.com/mariadb-corporation/mariadb-connector-j/releases/tag/3.4.3 | [email protected] | github.com | |
| github.com/mariadb-corporation/mariadb-connector-j/releases/tag/3.5.9 | [email protected] | github.com | |
| github.com/mariadb-corporation/mariadb-connector-j/security/advisories/G... | [email protected] | github.com | |
| github.com/mariadb-corporation/mariadb-connector-j/commit/149ec6a6263762... | [email protected] | github.com | |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
No vendor comments have been submitted for this CVE.
There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.