CVE-2023-5157 in MariaDB
Summary
by MITRE • 09/27/2023
A vulnerability was found in MariaDB. An OpenVAS port scan on ports 3306 and 4567 allows a malicious remote client to cause a denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-5157 represents a significant security flaw within MariaDB database systems that manifests through specific network port scanning activities. This issue specifically affects the database management system's handling of connections on ports 3306 and 4567, which are standard ports for MariaDB server operations and replication respectively. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and connection handling mechanisms that fail to properly process malformed or malicious connection attempts from remote clients. When an OpenVAS port scan targets these specific ports, the database server's response to certain connection patterns triggers a critical system instability that results in complete service disruption.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under the category of denial of service attacks that exploit weaknesses in network protocol handling and resource management within the MariaDB server implementation. The flaw occurs during the connection establishment phase when the server processes incoming connection requests from remote clients. The specific conditions that trigger this vulnerability involve crafted connection packets that manipulate the server's internal state management and connection tracking mechanisms. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication credentials, making it accessible to any attacker with network access to the target system.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-5157 extends beyond simple service interruption to potentially compromise entire database infrastructures and associated applications. When successfully exploited, the denial of service condition can persist for extended periods, requiring manual intervention to restore normal operations. Database administrators may experience cascading failures as dependent applications lose connectivity to the database server, potentially affecting business-critical operations and data availability. The vulnerability affects all versions of MariaDB that are configured to listen on the affected ports, making it particularly concerning for organizations with multiple database instances or those utilizing automated scanning tools for security assessments.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network-level restrictions through firewalls to block unauthorized port scanning activities targeting ports 3306 and 4567. Configuration changes to limit connection rates and implement proper connection timeout mechanisms can help reduce the exploitability of this vulnerability. The implementation of intrusion detection systems that monitor for suspicious connection patterns and automated response mechanisms can provide additional layers of protection. Security patches released by MariaDB should be applied immediately to address the root cause of the vulnerability. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-400 which addresses improper handling of resources and connections, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1499 which covers network denial of service attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions to detect anomalous connection patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted with proper network segmentation to prevent unauthorized access to database ports while maintaining legitimate operational requirements.