CVE-2023-52968

What it actually does

The server invokes fix_fields_if_needed inside mysql_derived_prepare before the derived table has been prepared, causing find_field_in_table to dereference an invalid pointer and crash the process.

Why it matters to the business

Database service becomes unavailable until the crashed process is restarted, interrupting applications that depend on the server and requiring manual intervention to restore operations.

How an attack unfolds

An authenticated database user crafts a query containing an unprepared derived table that reaches the faulty code path during preparation, triggering the crash on the target server.

How to fix it

Upgrade MariaDB to one of the fixed releases (10.4.33+, 10.5.24+, 10.6.17+, 10.11.7+, 11.0.5+, 11.1.4+). For the listed Red Hat packages apply the updates to firefox 0:91.3.0-1.el8_2 or newer.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm the running server version matches a fixed release, then execute regression queries that previously triggered the crash to verify stability.

Typical attack path

1. Obtain valid database credentials with sufficient privileges to execute queries
2. Submit a specially formed SELECT statement that references an unprepared derived table
3. Trigger mysql_derived_prepare which calls fix_fields_if_needed prematurely
4. Cause find_field_in_table to crash the server process

How to detect it

Review database error logs and process crash dumps for sudden terminations during query preparation; correlate with authentication events from users capable of running complex SELECT statements.

What your security team should do

• Apply the listed package updates immediately on all affected instances
• Restrict query privileges to the minimum required roles until patches are deployed
• Monitor database process health and implement automated restarts for crashed instances