Summary
MySqlConnector: Account password disclosed to a man-in-the-middle in zero-configuration TLS mode (clear-text password sent before certificate is verified)
With SslMode set to VerifyCA or VerifyFull with no configured CA certificate, an unvalidated TLS connection is treated as secure and a clear-text password can be sent before the certificate is checked. This can occur when relying on the password to validate a self-signed cert, e.g., MariaDB's zero-configuration TLS.
Workarounds
Provide SslCa with VerifyCA/VerifyFull, use a local/Unix-socket connection, or avoid clear-text authentication.
References
Impact
An attacker who can deploy a man-in-the-middle MySQL proxy presenting any self-signed certificate can capture the plaintext database password of a client that:
- uses
SslMode = VerifyCAorVerifyFull, and - does not use the
SslCaconnection string option, and - uses a non-empty password.
The attacker completes the TLS handshake with its own cert, requests a clear-text password authentication scheme (mysql_clear_password, or forces the caching_sha2_password/sha256_password clear-text fallback), and receives the password before the fingerprint check rejects the connection, defeating the man-in-the-middle protection VerifyFull is expected to provide.
Not affected: a configured CA (SslCa), CA-validated TLS, local connections (Unix socket / loopback), or empty passwords. Using SslMode set to Preferred or Required is out of scope (this is documented as not authenticating the server).
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-473Q-M89C-GHF8? GHSA-473Q-M89C-GHF8 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in MySqlConnector (nuget), affecting versions < 2.6.1. It is fixed in 2.6.1.
- Which versions of MySqlConnector are affected by GHSA-473Q-M89C-GHF8? MySqlConnector (nuget) versions < 2.6.1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-473Q-M89C-GHF8? Yes. GHSA-473Q-M89C-GHF8 is fixed in 2.6.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-473Q-M89C-GHF8 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-473Q-M89C-GHF8 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether GHSA-473Q-M89C-GHF8 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix GHSA-473Q-M89C-GHF8? Upgrade
MySqlConnectorto 2.6.1 or later.