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Firebird EUVDEUVD-2026-23468

| CVE-2026-28224 HIGH
NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476)
2026-04-17 GitHub_M
8.2
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: GitHub_M
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Identify internet-exposed Firebird server
  2. Delivery
    Send unauthenticated op_crypt_key_callback packet
  3. Exploit
    Trigger null pointer dereference
  4. Execution
    Crash database service
  5. Impact
    Achieve denial-of-service

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A10:2025 - Mishandling of Exceptional Conditions
ASVS 5.0
V16 - Security Logging and Error Handling Null pointer safety, defensive checks
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Impact

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

No special conditions required for remote exploitation against network-accessible Firebird servers. The vulnerability is exploitable against default configurations on any Firebird version prior to 5.0.4, 4.0.7, or 3.0.14 that accept network connections on TCP port 3050 (standard) or any configured listener port. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) confirms the attack requires no authentication, no user interaction, and low complexity, meaning attackers need only network reachability to the Firebird service. Limiting factors include network-layer access controls such as firewall rules restricting source IPs, private network deployment without internet exposure, or embedded-mode installations with no network listener enabled. Servers behind properly configured firewalls allowing connections only from trusted application tiers are not exploitable by external attackers, significantly reducing practical risk for properly segmented database architectures.

Impact

Real-world risk is moderate-to-high for internet-exposed Firebird servers but lower for properly segmented internal deployments. The CVSS 8.2 score reflects the severe availability impact combined with network accessibility, though the absence of confidentiality impact and presence of only low integrity impact reduces data breach risk. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) confirms this is trivially exploitable remotely without authentication, making it attractive for opportunistic denial-of-service attacks or reconnaissance. However, no CISA KEV listing or public exploit code suggests limited real-world exploitation to date, likely because Firebird has smaller market share than enterprise databases like Oracle or PostgreSQL. The low attack complexity and unauthenticated vector mean exploitation could be automated in scanning tools. Organizations with internet-facing Firebird instances should prioritize patching immediately, while those with network-segmented databases can schedule updates within normal maintenance windows. The lack of confidentiality impact means this is purely a reliability issue, not a data exfiltration vector, which may lower priority versus RCE vulnerabilities in risk frameworks focused on data protection.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An external attacker scans the internet for exposed Firebird database servers on TCP port 3050 and identifies targets running vulnerable versions through banner grabbing or protocol fingerprinting. The attacker crafts a malformed op_crypt_key_callback packet and sends it to the server without completing authentication, triggering the null pointer dereference in the uninitialized port_server_crypt_callback handler and causing an immediate server crash. The attacker repeats this process to sustain denial-of-service, disrupting database availability for applications and users relying on the Firebird instance. No proof-of-concept code is publicly confirmed, though the straightforward nature of sending a specific packet type makes development trivial for attackers familiar with the Firebird wire protocol.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Apr 17, 2026

Null pointer dereference in Firebird SQL server causes remote denial-of-service when unauthenticated attackers send malformed op_crypt_key_callback packets. Firebird versions prior to 5.0.4, 4.0.7, and 3.0.14 are affected. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) confirms trivial remote exploitation requiring no authentication or user interaction, allowing attackers who know only the server's IP and port to crash database services. The integrity impact rating (I:L) suggests potential for limited data corruption alongside the high availability impact. Vendor-released patches are available in versions 5.0.4, 4.0.7, and 3.0.14. No public exploit code or CISA KEV listing identified at time of analysis, though the low attack complexity makes weaponization straightforward.

RemediationAI

Upgrade to Firebird version 5.0.4, 4.0.7, or 3.0.14 depending on your major version branch to receive the vendor-released patch that properly initializes the port_server_crypt_callback handler before processing cryptographic callback packets. Release artifacts are available at https://github.com/FirebirdSQL/firebird/releases/tag/v5.0.4, https://github.com/FirebirdSQL/firebird/releases/tag/v4.0.7, and https://github.com/FirebirdSQL/firebird/releases/tag/v3.0.14. If immediate patching is not feasible, implement network-layer compensating controls by restricting Firebird port access (default TCP 3050) to trusted IP addresses only via firewall rules or security groups, which prevents unauthenticated external attackers from reaching the vulnerable packet handler. Note that access restrictions will block legitimate remote clients unless they connect through VPN or other approved network paths, requiring application architecture review. Connection pooling proxies or reverse proxies cannot mitigate this issue as the vulnerability occurs during initial protocol negotiation before application-layer filtering. For embedded deployments with no network listeners, the vulnerability is not exploitable remotely but upgrading is still recommended for defense-in-depth.

Affected VersionsENISA

firebird 3.0.0, < 3.0.14
firebird 4.0.0, < 4.0.7
firebird 5.0.0, < 5.0.4

Affected Packages

euvd firebird_3_0_0 fix: 3.0.14
euvd firebird_4_0_0 fix: 4.0.7
euvd firebird_5_0_0 fix: 5.0.4

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 3 packages in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

Firebird is a cross-platform open-source SQL relational database descended from Borland InterBase, widely used for embedded and standalone database applications. The vulnerability stems from improper initialization of the port_server_crypt_callback handler when processing cryptographic key callback operations (op_crypt_key_callback packets) during the connection establishment phase. Per CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference), the server fails to validate that authentication has occurred before dereferencing the callback handler pointer, causing the process to crash when the uninitialized pointer is accessed. The affected CPE (cpe:2.3:a:firebirdsql:firebird) encompasses all Firebird installations across the 3.0.x, 4.0.x, and 5.0.x major release branches prior to the patched versions, affecting both embedded and network-accessible server deployments.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (GitHub_M) PRIMARY 8.2 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H
SUSE HIGH

Primary rating from Vendor (GitHub_M).

CVSS VectorVendor: GitHub_M

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

3
Patch released
Apr 24, 2026 - 19:45 nvd
Patch available
Patch available
Apr 17, 2026 - 20:16 EUVD
CVE Published
Apr 17, 2026 - 18:38 nvd
HIGH 8.2

DescriptionCVE.org

Firebird is an open-source relational database management system. In versions prior to 5.0.4, 4.0.7 and 3.0.14, when the server receives an op_crypt_key_callback packet without prior authentication, the port_server_crypt_callback handler is not initialized, resulting in a null pointer dereference and server crash. An unauthenticated attacker who knows only the server's IP and port can exploit this to crash the server. This issue has been fixed in versions 5.0.4, 4.0.7 and 3.0.14.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

CVE-2026-28224 is a critical availability vulnerability affecting Firebird SQL Server versions 3.0.13 and earlier, 4.0.6 and earlier, and 5.0.3 and earlier. Unauthenticated attackers can remotely crash database services by sending malformed packets, directly impacting business continuity for organizations relying on Firebird for application data availability. Immediate patching is required to prevent denial-of-service incidents that could disable transactional systems and reporting capabilities.

Business Impact: Severe
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch: Firebird 5.0.4, 4.0.7, or 3.0.14. If patching cannot be completed within 7 days, implement network-level controls restricting database port access to trusted IP ranges only and disable remote connections where operationally feasible. Monitor Firebird process health and implement automated restart mechanisms to minimize downtime from crash events.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 74% exploitable
Social Media
1
Sightings
Data Quality
8 sources
Confidence: High
EUVD NVD CVE.org EPSS Vulnrichment Vendor CIRCL GitHub VulDB

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Out-of-Cycle
Exploitation
Poc
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
Yes
Human Impact
Very High
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

41
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +41
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

A null pointer dereference occurs when a program attempts to access memory through a pointer that has been set to NULL (address 0x0).

Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.

CVE-2013-2492 MEDIUM POC
6.8 Mar 15

Stack-based buffer overflow in Firebird 2.1.3 through 2.1.5 before 18514, and 2.5.1 through 2.5.3 before 26623, on Windo

CVE-2025-24975 HIGH POC
7.1 Aug 15

Firebird is a relational database. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. Public ex

CVE-2016-1569 MEDIUM POC
6.5 Jan 13

FireBird 2.5.5 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) by using service manager to

CVE-2026-40342 CRITICAL
9.9 Apr 17

Remote code execution in Firebird RDBMS versions prior to 5.0.4, 4.0.7, and 3.0.14 allows authenticated users with CREAT

CVE-2017-6369 HIGH
8.8 Mar 24

Insufficient checks in the UDF subsystem in Firebird 2.5.x before 2.5.7 and 3.0.x before 3.0.2 allow remote authenticate

CVE-2014-9323 MEDIUM POC
5.0 Dec 16

The xdr_status_vector function in Firebird before 2.1.7 and 2.5.x before 2.5.3 SU1 allows remote attackers to cause a de

CVE-2026-27890 HIGH
8.2 Apr 17

Remote denial-of-service in Firebird database server versions prior to 5.0.4, 4.0.7, and 3.0.14 allows unauthenticated n

CVE-2026-35215 HIGH
7.5 Apr 17

Firebird database server crashes via crafted slice packet exploiting zero-length SDL descriptor validation flaw. Remote

CVE-2026-34232 HIGH
7.5 Apr 17

Remote denial-of-service in Firebird Database Server versions prior to 5.0.4, 4.0.7, and 3.0.14 allows unauthenticated n

CVE-2026-33337 HIGH
7.5 Apr 17

Buffer overflow in Firebird RDBMS allows remote unauthenticated attackers to crash database servers via malformed slice

CVE-2026-28212 HIGH
7.5 Apr 17

Remote unauthenticated denial of service in Firebird SQL database server versions prior to 6.0.0/5.0.4/4.0.7/3.0.14 allo

CVE-2025-65104 HIGH
7.5 Apr 17

Firebird 3.x client libraries leak adjacent memory contents when an application using the FB3 client connects to a Fireb

Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: High
Product Status
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Package Hub 15 SP7 Fixed
openSUSE Leap 15.6 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Package Hub 15 SP5 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Package Hub 15 SP6 Fixed
openSUSE Leap 15.3 Fixed

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