Author: Pavel Císař

IBPhoenix is Introducting Firebird 2.5 Maintenance Subscription

Leave a comment

Although Firebird 2.5 has reached End of Life, many production systems still depend on it. Following the disclosure of several security vulnerabilities that also affect Firebird 2.5, IBPhoenix has introduced a Firebird 2.5 Maintenance Subscription for commercial users. Subscribers receive security-patched Firebird 2.5 builds based on the final official release, together with future security updates released during the subscription period.

For full details, including supported platforms, pricing, available maintenance options, and subscription information, see the Firebird 2.5 Maintenance Subscription product page.

New Ebook: Practical Firebird Performance Diagnostics

Leave a comment

IBPhoenix is pleased to announce the release of a new free ebook:

Practical Firebird Performance Diagnostics: A Structured Approach

Unlike traditional performance tuning guides, this ebook focuses on the reasoning behind successful diagnostics. It introduces a structured framework that helps Firebird professionals move from observed symptoms to defensible explanations by classifying problems, selecting appropriate investigation strategies, interpreting evidence correctly, and using diagnostic tools with purpose.

The book covers the complete diagnostic process, from understanding why investigations fail to interpreting monitoring tables, trace sessions, profiler output, gstat reports, operating system metrics, and modern hardware behavior in the context of Firebird performance.

Whether you’re a database administrator, developer, consultant, or support engineer, this ebook provides a practical methodology for approaching complex performance problems with greater confidence and consistency.

The book is available for free from IBPhoenix store.

Happy reading!

EmberWings 2026/2 Is Now Available

Leave a comment

We’re pleased to announce that the June 2026 issue of EmberWings (2026/2) is now available.

This issue explores a theme familiar to every experienced Firebird developer: the space between what we observe and what is actually happening inside the database engine. As systems become faster and workloads more demanding, successful diagnostics increasingly depend not on collecting more information, but on interpreting the available information more carefully.

Our two feature articles examine this challenge from different perspectives. We look at the limits of Firebird’s monitoring infrastructure—what it reveals, what it cannot reveal, and why understanding those blind spots is essential for effective troubleshooting. We also explore how modern hardware is changing performance characteristics in unexpected ways, showing that faster processors and storage do not always translate into simpler performance tuning.

This issue also includes a comprehensive summary of the Firebird Usage and Developer Experience Survey, providing an interesting snapshot of today’s Firebird community and the technologies, platforms, and deployment models it relies on. You’ll also find an exclusive interview, insights into ongoing project development, a candid evaluation of a noteworthy tool, a curated selection of questions and answers from the Firebird community, and the latest project news.

As always, EmberWings is presented in a clean, print-friendly format designed for comfortable reading, whether you prefer reading on screen or on paper.

The latest issue is available only to all Firebird Associates and Firebird Partners. It will be available to the general public in September 2026.

Also, the March 2026 issue is now available to all readers.

The first EmberWings issue of 2026 is now available

Leave a comment

With Firebird’s 25th anniversary behind us, this edition looks forward, focusing on the challenges of understanding and operating long-lived database systems. It explores how performance and behavior often emerge from interactions across the system, rather than from isolated components, and examines how database vulnerabilities are assessed and interpreted in practice.

As always, the issue is presented in a clean, print-friendly layout designed for enjoyable reading, whether on screen or on paper.

The latest issue is available only to all Firebird Associates and Firebird Partners. It will be available to the general public in June 2026.

Also, the December 2025 issue is now available to all readers.

FBLoader — A High-Speed CSV Import for Firebird

Leave a comment

IBPhoenix is pleased to announce the release of FBLoader, a new command-line utility designed for blazing-fast import of CSV data into Firebird databases.

FBLoader makes it easy to move large volumes of data efficiently, whether you’re loading files from a local or remote system, handling multiple sources and tables in a single session, or taking advantage of automatic parallel loading for optimal performance. With flexible parameter options and full control over character sets and file access, FBLoader offers both speed and precision for demanding data migration tasks.

FBLoader is available now for 64-bit Windows and 64-bit Linux systems.

To learn more or download the tool, visit https://www.ibphoenix.com

EmberWings Magazine 2025/3 is Here!

Leave a comment

The September issue of EmberWings – has landed, and it’s ablaze with a thrilling Halloween theme! Dive into the eerie and exciting world of Firebird with our latest edition, packed with insights, surprises, and a touch of spooky charm.

Prepare to be captivated by a chilling exploration of “spooks” that might haunt Firebird users in The Little Shop of Horrors (Firebird Edition), alongside a deep dive into the power of Embedded Firebird. You’ll also find an exclusive conversation with a Firebird contributor shaping the database’s future, a review of a must-have Firebird-related tool, and a curated peek at the most intriguing questions and answers from Firebird’s public lists and forums. Stay updated with the latest advancements in Firebird development over the past quarter and catch the hottest news from the Firebird community. Plus, our ongoing story about the Secrets of Firebird takes a delightfully spooky twist, just in time for Halloween!

As always, delivered in a beautifully crafted, print-friendly PDF.

The latest issue is available only to all Firebird Associates and Firebird Partners. It will be available to the general public in December 2025.

Also, the June 2025 issue is now available to all readers.

Firebird 2.5.9 with CVE-2025-54989 fix

Leave a comment

A bug in the Firebird server was found by the Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) program. The bug exploits a weakness in Firebird’s remote protocol.

The official CVE record is published here.

This bug has existed in the code base since InterBase 6 (or earlier.) and all versions of Firebird released prior to 5th May 2025 are affected.

The vulnerability allows remote unauthenticated users to cause a denial of service via a NULL pointer dereference and subsequent crash of the server.

A malicious user can cause a DoS attack on a Firebird server by sending a specific sequence of bytes. It is not necessary to be logged in to the server. To exploit the vulnerability, it is sufficient to have access to the Firebird port.

It should be noted that the Classic server architecture is less vulnerable, inasmuch as existing connections will remain active. However if the attack is sustained no new connections will be possible for the lifetime of the attack, no matter which architecture is used.

It is not known if a proof of concept has been developed. However, once the vulnerability is published one should expect rogue users to develop an attack. With increased access to AI based code generation models the bar to exploit development has been lowered considerably.

The Firebird Project has fixed this bug in the latest releases of all branches currently supported: 5.0.3, 4.0.6 and 3.0.13

While Firebird 2.5 is no longer supported by the Firebird project, it’s still supported by IBPhoenix!

We have produced a special build of Firebird 2.5.9 with this fix. There are no other changes to the source code for this build other than the fix itself. It is intended to be dropped in to an existing setup. Users can be confident that only minimal acceptance testing will be required.

You can get both 64-bit and 32-bit builds for Windows from our store for whatever price you see fair for our effort (including for free).

December Issue of EmberWings is Here!

Leave a comment

The Firebird Project is happy to announce that the December issue of EmberWings is now available for download! This special edition marks the magazine’s debut under the Firebird Foundation, bringing you a refreshed focus on both Firebird administrators and application developers alike.

This issue is currently available only to all Firebird Associates and Firebird Partners. It will be available to the general public in December 2025.

1 2