MariaDBDatabase / datastore
CVE-2020-28912
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 · uneditedWith MariaDB running on Windows, when local clients connect to the server over named pipes, it's possible for an unprivileged user with an ability to run code on the server machine to intercept the named pipe connection and act as a man-in-the-middle, gaining access to all the data passed between the client and the server, and getting the ability to run SQL commands on behalf of the connected user. This occurs because of an incorrect security descriptor. This affects MariaDB Server before 10.1.48, 10.2.x before 10.2.35, 10.3.x before 10.3.26, 10.4.x before 10.4.16, and 10.5.x before 10.5.7. NOTE: this issue exists because certain details of the MariaDB CVE-2019-2503 fix did not comprehensively address attack variants against MariaDB. This situation is specific to MariaDB, and thus CVE-2020-28912 does NOT apply to other vendors that were originally affected by CVE-2019-2503.
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 confidenceIn MariaDB on Windows, local clients connecting over named pipes are vulnerable to a man-in-the-middle attack. An unprivileged user with code execution on the server machine can intercept the named pipe connection due to an incorrect security descriptor, allowing them to access all data and execute SQL commands on behalf of connected users. This is a regression/incomplete fix from CVE-2019-2503.
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
MariaDBDatabase / datastore
< 10.1.48>= 10.2.0, < 10.2.35>= 10.3.0, < 10.3.26>= 10.4.0, < 10.4.16>= 10.5.0, < 10.5.7CVSS 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
- High
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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.
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Verify the operating system is WindowsCheck if MariaDB is running on Windows. This vulnerability only affects Windows environments where named pipe connections are used.Affected if The server OS is Windows and MariaDB is using named pipe connections for client connections.
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Confirm MariaDB version is within affected rangeRun 'mysql --version' or query 'SELECT VERSION();' to determine the installed MariaDB version. Compare against: < 10.1.48, >= 10.2.0 and < 10.2.35, >= 10.3.0 and < 10.3.26, >= 10.4.0 and < 10.4.16, >= 10.5.0 and < 10.5.7Affected if The installed version falls within any of these vulnerable version ranges.
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Check if named pipe protocol is enabledExamine the MariaDB configuration file (my.ini or my.cnf) for the 'enable-named-pipe' option under the [mysqld] section, or check runtime status with 'SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'skip_networking';' and review connection protocol settings.Affected if Named pipe protocol (enable-named-pipe) is enabled and clients connect using named pipes.
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Inspect named pipe security descriptorOn Windows, use 'sc qc <servicename>' to query the service configuration, then use a tool like 'pipesec' or PowerShell Get-Acl on the named pipe object to inspect the security descriptor. Look for overly permissive ACLs that allow unauthorized users access to the pipe.Affected if The named pipe security descriptor grants excessive permissions to non-privileged users, allowing interception.
The environment is affected if MariaDB is running on Windows with named pipes enabled and the installed version falls within the vulnerable version ranges and the named pipe security descriptor permits unauthorized access.
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 data10.1.4810.2.3510.3.26
Upgrade MariaDB Server to version 10.1.48+, 10.2.35+, 10.3.26+, 10.4.16+, or 10.5.7+ respectively. On Windows, verify named pipe security descriptors are correctly configured after upgrade.
Fix this in MariaDB
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-28912 — 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-2020-28912 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
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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