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Response snapshot Oct 31, 2026, 01:26 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-119281

MariaDB Connector/J: Server could switch character_set_results away from UTF-8 without the client noticing

MariaDB Connector/J decodes every result as UTF-8 and guards character_set_client against a change to another charset, but did not guard character_set_results, and relied on the server's global session_track_system_variables list to be told about charset changes at all.

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
5.9 Medium (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
Not estimated
Sources
1 source

What to do

GitHub lists first patched versions: org.mariadb.jdbc:mariadb-java-client: 3.3.7; org.mariadb.jdbc:mariadb-java-client: 3.4.5; org.mariadb.jdbc:mariadb-java-client: 3.5.11. Confirm the affected range and upgrade guidance in the exact advisory.

Read GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-grfq-r75j-rw9x (opens a new tab)

What happened

Summary

MariaDB Connector/J decodes every result as UTF-8 and guards character_set_client against a change to another charset, but did not guard character_set_results, and relied on the server's global session_track_system_variables list to be told about charset changes at all.

Details

The connector learns about session variable changes through session tracking, and closes the connection when character_set_client is switched away from UTF-8, so that its UTF-8 decoding stays correct. Two gaps remained:

Continue reading

- character_set_results was not guarded: a server could switch it to another charset, after which the bytes of every result were decoded as UTF-8 although encoded otherwise. - the list of tracked variables came from the server's global session_track_system_variables: a server configured, or made, not to track the character set variables could change them silently.

The fix requests an explicit session tracking list that includes both character set variables whatever the server's global setting, and closes the connection when character_set_results is changed to a charset other than utf8, utf8mb3 or utf8mb4, as it already did for character_set_client.

Impact

Integrity: a malicious or compromised server, or a MitM, can make the strings an application reads differ from the bytes the server returned (inappropriate encoding for the output context), which can defeat application-side validation or escaping built on those values. Exploitation requires control of the server side of the connection; no confidentiality or availability impact.

Credit

Reported by fg0x0

Affected package ranges reported by GitHub: org.mariadb.jdbc:mariadb-java-client: >= 3.0.0, < 3.3.7 org.mariadb.jdbc:mariadb-java-client: >= 3.4.0, < 3.4.5 org.mariadb.jdbc:mariadb-java-client: >= 3.5.0, < 3.5.11

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

5.9

Version 3.1As of

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

Not available

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-grfq-r75j-rw9x (opens a new tab)

    The public advisory supplies the description, affected package/version ranges, and any listed CVSS metric. GitHub review is not local review.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    GitHub public advisory API page (opens a new tab)

    The API page supplied GHSA-grfq-r75j-rw9x, its actual identifiers, source dates, and structured metrics.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, October 30). MariaDB Connector/J: Server could switch character_set_results away from UTF-8 without the client noticing (CVE-2026-119281). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-119281

MLA

"MariaDB Connector/J: Server could switch character_set_results away from UTF-8 without the client noticing (CVE-2026-119281)." KEVWire, 30 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-119281.

Chicago

KEVWire. "MariaDB Connector/J: Server could switch character_set_results away from UTF-8 without the client noticing (CVE-2026-119281)." Last modified October 30, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-119281.

Evidence summary (plain text)

MariaDB Connector/J: Server could switch character_set_results away from UTF-8 without the client noticing (Oct 30, 2026).
MariaDB Connector/J decodes every result as UTF-8 and guards
character_set_client against a change to another charset, but did not guard
character_set_results, and relied on the server's global
session_track_system_variables list to be told about charset changes at all.

The connector learns about session variable changes through session tracking,
and closes the connection when character_set_client is switched away from UTF-8,
so that its UTF-8 decoding stays correct.
CVSS 5.9 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 30, 2026; https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-grfq-r75j-rw9x).
Sources:
GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-grfq-r75j-rw9x: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-grfq-r75j-rw9x
GitHub public advisory API page: https://api.github.com/advisories?type=reviewed&per_page=100&sort=updated&direction=desc
Record ID: CVE-2026-119281.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Oct 31, 2026, 00:50 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

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