CVE-2022-47015 in Server
Summary
by MITRE • 01/20/2023
MariaDB Server before 10.3.34 thru 10.9.3 is vulnerable to Denial of Service. It is possible for function spider_db_mbase::print_warnings to dereference a null pointer.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/04/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-47015 affects MariaDB Server versions prior to 10.3.34 and through 10.9.3, presenting a critical denial of service risk through null pointer dereference in the spider_db_mbase::print_warnings function. This issue arises within the MariaDB storage engine infrastructure, specifically impacting the spider storage engine plugin that enables distributed database operations across multiple MariaDB servers. The spider engine facilitates sharding and distributed query execution, making it a critical component for large-scale database deployments that rely on distributed processing capabilities.
The technical flaw manifests when the spider_db_mbase::print_warnings function attempts to dereference a null pointer during warning processing within the distributed database context. This occurs during the execution of distributed queries where the spider storage engine manages communication between multiple database nodes. The function fails to properly validate pointer references before accessing memory locations, leading to a segmentation fault or crash that terminates the database server process. This vulnerability specifically affects the warning reporting mechanism within distributed transactions, where the engine attempts to log or display warnings from remote database nodes that may have failed to initialize properly.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise database availability in production environments. When exploited, the null pointer dereference causes the MariaDB server to crash and restart automatically, resulting in temporary unavailability of database services. In high-availability environments or systems with automated failover mechanisms, this can trigger unnecessary failover events and disrupt database operations. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in clustered environments where distributed queries are common, as it can affect multiple database nodes simultaneously if the distributed transaction processing is compromised.
Organizations using MariaDB versions affected by CVE-2022-47015 should prioritize immediate remediation through patching to version 10.3.34 or later. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-476, which specifically addresses null pointer dereference conditions in software systems. From an operational security perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which involves network denial of service attacks through system resource exhaustion or process termination. Network administrators should implement monitoring for unexpected database server restarts and crashes, particularly during periods of high distributed query activity. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and error handling within the spider storage engine configuration can provide additional defense in depth against similar issues. The patch released by MariaDB addresses the root cause by ensuring proper null pointer validation before function execution, preventing the crash condition that previously occurred during warning processing in distributed database operations.