CVE-2015-5969
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe mysql-systemd-helper script in the mysql-community-server package before 5.6.28-2.17.1 in openSUSE 13.2 and before 5.6.28-13.1 in openSUSE Leap 42.1 and the mariadb package before 10.0.22-2.21.2 in openSUSE 13.2 and before 10.0.22-3.1 in SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE) 12.1 and openSUSE Leap 42.1 allows local users to discover database credentials by listing a process and its arguments.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe mysql-systemd-helper script in MySQL/MariaDB packages for openSUSE and SUSE Linux Enterprise exposes database credentials through process command-line arguments, allowing any local user to discover them via process listing commands like 'ps aux'.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 42.1= 13.2= 12= 12= 12= 12CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify your SUSE/openSUSE versionRun 'cat /etc/os-release' or 'lsb_release -a' to determine the exact distribution versionAffected if The version matches openSUSE 13.2, openSUSE Leap 42.1, or SUSE Linux Enterprise 12 (Desktop, Server, SDK, or Workstation Extension)
-
Verify MySQL/MariaDB is installedRun 'rpm -qa | grep -i mysql' or 'rpm -qa | grep -i mariadb' to list installed database packagesAffected if MySQL or MariaDB packages from the affected SUSE/openSUSE distributions are installed
-
Check if mysql-systemd-helper script existsRun 'ls -la /usr/bin/mysql-systemd-helper' or 'find /usr -name mysql-systemd-helper 2>/dev/null'Affected if The mysql-systemd-helper script exists on the system
-
Inspect running processes for credential exposureRun 'ps aux | grep -E 'mysql|mariadb'' and examine any mysqld or mariadb processes for visible password strings in the command-line argumentsAffected if Database credentials appear as plain-text arguments in the process list (e.g., --password=YOURPASS or -pYOURPASS)
-
Check systemd service configurationRun 'systemctl cat mariadb.service' or 'systemctl cat mysql.service' (if applicable) and look for ExecStart lines that invoke mysql-systemd-helper with credentialsAffected if The systemd service uses mysql-systemd-helper and passes credentials via command-line arguments
You are affected if you run one of the specified SUSE/openSUSE versions with MySQL/MariaDB installed, and credentials are visible in process command-line arguments or the mysql-systemd-helper script passes credentials as arguments.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataModify the mysql-systemd-helper script to pass credentials via environment variables or a secure configuration file (e.g., my.cnf with restricted permissions) instead of command-line arguments, eliminating credential exposure in the process list.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,424.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-5969 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-5969 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data