Remote code execution in widely used MariaDB server via SYS_REFCURSOR use-after-free. High-impact to database infrastructure; requires immediate org-wide attention.
CVE-2026-85748
RCE via SYS_REFCURSOR use-after-free in MariaDB (critical).
Is CVE-2026-85748 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-85748 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked.
How severe is CVE-2026-85748?
CVE-2026-85748 is rated Critical with a CVSS score of 9.9. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-85748?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-85748. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-85748 affect?
CVE-2026-85748 affects MariaDB versions before 12.3.3, MariaDB versions before 13.0.2. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-85748?
Upgrade to MariaDB 12.3.3 or 13.0.2; restrict DB access until patched.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Low-privileged DB user can trigger a SYS_REFCURSOR use-after-free leading to remote code execution on the MariaDB server.
Immediate action required
- affected>= 12.3.1 and < 12.3.3
- affected>= 13.0.1 and < 13.0.2
As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.