default_authentication_plugin
INFO
Rule IDs: sec_005
Overview
- Purpose
- Documented in the MySQL 8.4 manual as a server system variable (scope: Global). Purpose and semantics are described at the linked manual page.
- Dynamic (MySQL 8.4 reference)
- MySQL 8.4 marks this variable as not dynamic (
Dynamic= No). It must be set inmy.cnfor on the command line; changing it requires a restart. - Default value
- caching_sha2_password (MySQL 8.4)
- Version and product notes
- MariaDB and Percona Server may use different names, defaults, or dynamic behavior; verify their documentation.
- Documentation
- https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.4/en/server-system-variables.html#sysvar_default_authentication_plugin
- Other vendors
What is checked
Rules that reference this variable, with their severity and what each rule detects:
- INFO
sec_005: Use caching_sha2_password (default in 8.0). mysql_native_password is disabled by default in MySQL 8.4.
Tuning guidance
- Recommended actions:
- Use caching_sha2_password (default in 8.0). mysql_native_password is disabled by default in MySQL 8.4.
- Trade-offs: Security settings protect against unauthorized access and data exposure. Tighter settings may require application changes (e.g., SSL certificates for require_secure_transport, IP-based grants for skip_name_resolve).
Example
Configure in my.cnf (or equivalent) or server startup options, then restart.