vulnerability / NVI-00008905 / Revision 2
MariaDB Connector/J: Server could switch character_set_results away from UTF-8 without the client noticing
GitHub lists this reviewed advisory for org.mariadb.jdbc:mariadb-java-client, org.mariadb.jdbc:mariadb-java-client, org.mariadb.jdbc:mariadb-java-client. Published version ranges and source prerequisites are shown below; this is not an inspection of a visitor’s application.
This report has not inspected your inventory, configuration, deployed build, reachability or evidence. A catalog listing and a severity score do not establish exposure or compromise.
01 / Meaning
Why it matters
Published affected context helps an owner decide what evidence to gather. This report has not examined your application.
5.9 medium
GitHub source severity; exploitability and local consequence require separate evidence.
As of · GitHub Advisory Database
0.283%
FIRST EPSS model v2026.06.15; exploitation probability over 30 days, percentile 0.20902. Missing scores are unknown.
As of · FIRST EPSS
02 / Applicability
The affected context
Affected versions, configuration prerequisites and known exclusions are public. Confirm each one against the deployed service.
org.mariadb.jdbc:mariadb-java-client
source listed>= 3.0.0, < 3.3.7
## 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: - `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_clie
org.mariadb.jdbc:mariadb-java-client
source listed>= 3.4.0, < 3.4.5
## 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: - `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_clie
org.mariadb.jdbc:mariadb-java-client
source listed>= 3.5.0, < 3.5.11
## 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: - `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_clie
03 / Response
What to do next
- investigate
Identify the exact component and deployed version, examine the linked publisher’s conditions, and retain evidence of any mitigation.
Confirm current vendor support, compatibility and deployment evidence. This report has not tested a fix in your system. FIRST EPSS
A fixed release is not deployment evidence.
Check current vendor support and compatibility. After making a change, verify the deployed build and relevant runtime conditions. Keep the evidence, owner and time. An updated lockfile alone does not prove what is running.
04 / Limits
What this report cannot establish
- Customer inventory, deployment, reachability and exploitation have not been inspected.
05 / Provenance
Sources you can inspect
Each assertion retains its source. Mirrored records may repeat one underlying publisher; additional links are not independent corroboration.
- GHSA-grfq-r75j-rw9x ↗
GitHub Advisory Database · vendor advisory
Observed . GitHub Advisory Database; CC-BY-4.0. Each advisory links its original attribution. Null normalizes fields.
- CVE-2026-119281 ↗
FIRST EPSS · official catalog
Observed . FIRST EPSS; probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, not local compromise. Dataset date/model retained; FIRST services terms apply.
Public revision history
Only published revisions appear here. Routine fetches do not create a material-change event.
- Revision 2 ·
Dated EPSS estimate updated; this is not a new disclosure or proof of exploitation.
- Revision 1 ·
First indexed by Null; source disclosure date is shown separately.