CVE-2026-28224
Received Received - Intake
Null Pointer Dereference in Firebird Server Causes Denial of Service

Publication date: 2026-04-17

Last updated on: 2026-04-24

Assigner: GitHub, Inc.

Description
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.
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
Probability:
Percentile:
Meta Information
Published
2026-04-17
Last Modified
2026-04-24
Generated
2026-06-16
AI Q&A
2026-04-17
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-15
NVD
CVE-2026-28224
EUVD
EUVD-2026-23468
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 3 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
firebirdsql firebird to 3.0.14 (exc)
firebirdsql firebird From 4.0.0 (inc) to 4.0.7 (exc)
firebirdsql firebird From 5.0.0 (inc) to 5.0.4 (exc)
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
CWE Icon
KEV
KEV Icon
CWE ID Description
CWE-476 The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL.
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Quick Actions
Instant insights powered by AI
Executive Summary

This vulnerability exists in Firebird, 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. This leads to a null pointer dereference, causing the server to crash.

An attacker who is unauthenticated and only knows the server's IP address and port can exploit this vulnerability to crash the server.

Compliance Impact

The vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker to crash the Firebird server by sending a specially crafted packet, resulting in a denial of service. However, there is no information provided about any impact on data confidentiality or integrity, nor about any direct effects on compliance with standards such as GDPR or HIPAA.

Since the vulnerability causes a server crash without data breach or unauthorized data access, its impact on compliance with regulations that focus on data protection and privacy is likely limited to availability concerns.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can be exploited by an unauthenticated attacker to cause a denial of service by crashing the Firebird server. This can lead to service disruption, affecting availability and potentially causing downtime for applications relying on the database.

Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate this vulnerability, you should upgrade your Firebird server to version 5.0.4, 4.0.7, or 3.0.14 or later, as these versions contain the fix for the issue.

Chat Assistant
Ask questions about this CVE
Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-28224. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.
0/70
EPSS Chart