Authentication: The default authentication plugin (determined as described in The Default Authentication Plugin), and empty credentials

Default role: NONE

SSL/TLS: NONE

Resource limits: Unlimited

Password management: PASSWORD EXPIRE DEFAULT PASSWORD HISTORY DEFAULT PASSWORD REUSE INTERVAL DEFAULT PASSWORD REQUIRE CURRENT DEFAULT; failed-login tracking and temporary account locking are disabled

Account locking: ACCOUNT UNLOCK

Connections must be made using a valid X.509 certificate.

Up to 60 queries per hour are permitted.

Password changes cannot reuse any of the five most recent passwords.

The account is locked initially, so effectively it is a placeholder and cannot be used until an administrator unlocks it.

auth_plugin names an authentication plugin. The plugin name can be a quoted string literal or an unquoted name. Plugin names are stored in the plugin column of the mysql.user system table.

For auth_option syntax that does not specify an authentication plugin, the server assigns the default plugin, determined as described in The Default Authentication Plugin. For descriptions of each plugin, see Section 8.4.1, “Authentication Plugins”.

Credentials that are stored internally are stored in the mysql.user system table. An 'auth_string' value or RANDOM PASSWORD specifies account credentials, either as a cleartext (unencrypted) string or hashed in the format expected by the authentication plugin associated with the account, respectively:

IDENTIFIED BY 'auth_string'

Sets the account authentication plugin to the default plugin, passes the cleartext 'auth_string' value to the plugin for possible hashing, and stores the result in the account row in the mysql.user system table.

IDENTIFIED BY RANDOM PASSWORD

Sets the account authentication plugin to the default plugin, generates a random password, passes the cleartext password value to the plugin for possible hashing, and stores the result in the account row in the mysql.user system table. The statement also returns the cleartext password in a result set to make it available to the user or application executing the statement. For details about the result set and characteristics of randomly generated passwords, see Random Password Generation.

IDENTIFIED WITH auth_plugin

Sets the account authentication plugin to auth_plugin, clears the credentials to the empty string, and stores the result in the account row in the mysql.user system table.

IDENTIFIED WITH auth_plugin BY 'auth_string'

Sets the account authentication plugin to auth_plugin, passes the cleartext 'auth_string' value to the plugin for possible hashing, and stores the result in the account row in the mysql.user system table.

IDENTIFIED WITH auth_plugin BY RANDOM PASSWORD

Sets the account authentication plugin to auth_plugin, generates a random password, passes the cleartext password value to the plugin for possible hashing, and stores the result in the account row in the mysql.user system table. The statement also returns the cleartext password in a result set to make it available to the user or application executing the statement. For details about the result set and characteristics of randomly generated passwords, see Random Password Generation.

IDENTIFIED WITH auth_plugin AS 'auth_string'

Sets the account authentication plugin to auth_plugin and stores the 'auth_string' value as is in the mysql.user account row. If the plugin requires a hashed string, the string is assumed to be already hashed in the format the plugin requires.

2fa_auth_option: Specifies a factor 2 authentication method. The following example defines caching_sha2_password as the factor 1 authentication method, and authentication_ldap_sasl as the factor 2 authentication method.

CREATE USER 'u1'@'localhost'
  IDENTIFIED WITH caching_sha2_password
    BY 'sha2_password'
  AND IDENTIFIED WITH authentication_ldap_sasl
    AS 'uid=u1_ldap,ou=People,dc=example,dc=com';

3fa_auth_option: Following 2fa_auth_option, there may appear a 3fa_auth_option clause to specify a factor 3 authentication method. The following example defines caching_sha2_password as the factor 1 authentication method, authentication_ldap_sasl as the factor 2 authentication method, and authentication_webauthn as the factor 3 authentication method

CREATE USER 'u1'@'localhost'
  IDENTIFIED WITH caching_sha2_password
    BY 'sha2_password'
  AND IDENTIFIED WITH authentication_ldap_sasl
    AS 'uid=u1_ldap,ou=People,dc=example,dc=com'
  AND IDENTIFIED WITH authentication_webauthn;

initial_auth_option: Specifies an initial authentication method for configuring FIDO/FIDO2 passwordless authentication. As shown in the following, temporary authentication using either a generated random password or a user-specified auth-string is required to enable WebAuthn passwordless authentication.

CREATE USER user
  IDENTIFIED WITH authentication_webauthn
  INITIAL AUTHENTICATION IDENTIFIED BY {RANDOM PASSWORD | 'auth_string'};

For information about configuring passwordless authentication using WebAuthn pluggable authentication, See WebAuthn Passwordless Authentication.

NONE

Indicates that all accounts named by the statement have no SSL or X.509 requirements. Unencrypted connections are permitted if the user name and password are valid. Encrypted connections can be used, at the client's option, if the client has the proper certificate and key files.

CREATE USER 'jeffrey'@'localhost' REQUIRE NONE;

Clients attempt to establish a secure connection by default. For clients that have REQUIRE NONE, the connection attempt falls back to an unencrypted connection if a secure connection cannot be established. To require an encrypted connection, a client need specify only the --ssl-mode=REQUIRED option; the connection attempt fails if a secure connection cannot be established.

NONE is the default if no SSL-related REQUIRE options are specified.

SSL

Tells the server to permit only encrypted connections for all accounts named by the statement.

CREATE USER 'jeffrey'@'localhost' REQUIRE SSL;

Clients attempt to establish a secure connection by default. For accounts that have REQUIRE SSL, the connection attempt fails if a secure connection cannot be established.

X509

For all accounts named by the statement, requires that clients present a valid certificate, but the exact certificate, issuer, and subject do not matter. The only requirement is that it should be possible to verify its signature with one of the CA certificates. Use of X.509 certificates always implies encryption, so the SSL option is unnecessary in this case.

CREATE USER 'jeffrey'@'localhost' REQUIRE X509;

For accounts with REQUIRE X509, clients must specify the --ssl-key and --ssl-cert options to connect. (It is recommended but not required that --ssl-ca also be specified so that the public certificate provided by the server can be verified.) This is true for ISSUER and SUBJECT as well because those REQUIRE options imply the requirements of X509.

ISSUER 'issuer'

For all accounts named by the statement, requires that clients present a valid X.509 certificate issued by CA 'issuer'. If a client presents a certificate that is valid but has a different issuer, the server rejects the connection. Use of X.509 certificates always implies encryption, so the SSL option is unnecessary in this case.

CREATE USER 'jeffrey'@'localhost'
  REQUIRE ISSUER '/C=SE/ST=Stockholm/L=Stockholm/
    O=MySQL/CN=CA/emailAddress=ca@example.com';

Because ISSUER implies the requirements of X509, clients must specify the --ssl-key and --ssl-cert options to connect. (It is recommended but not required that --ssl-ca also be specified so that the public certificate provided by the server can be verified.)

SUBJECT 'subject'

For all accounts named by the statement, requires that clients present a valid X.509 certificate containing the subject subject. If a client presents a certificate that is valid but has a different subject, the server rejects the connection. Use of X.509 certificates always implies encryption, so the SSL option is unnecessary in this case.

CREATE USER 'jeffrey'@'localhost'
  REQUIRE SUBJECT '/C=SE/ST=Stockholm/L=Stockholm/
    O=MySQL demo client certificate/
    CN=client/emailAddress=client@example.com';

MySQL does a simple string comparison of the 'subject' value to the value in the certificate, so lettercase and component ordering must be given exactly as present in the certificate.

Because SUBJECT implies the requirements of X509, clients must specify the --ssl-key and --ssl-cert options to connect. (It is recommended but not required that --ssl-ca also be specified so that the public certificate provided by the server can be verified.)

CIPHER 'cipher'

For all accounts named by the statement, requires a specific cipher method for encrypting connections. This option is needed to ensure that ciphers and key lengths of sufficient strength are used. Encryption can be weak if old algorithms using short encryption keys are used.

CREATE USER 'jeffrey'@'localhost'
  REQUIRE CIPHER 'EDH-RSA-DES-CBC3-SHA';

MAX_QUERIES_PER_HOUR count, MAX_UPDATES_PER_HOUR count, MAX_CONNECTIONS_PER_HOUR count

For all accounts named by the statement, these options restrict how many queries, updates, and connections to the server are permitted to each account during any given one-hour period. If count is 0 (the default), this means that there is no limitation for the account.

MAX_USER_CONNECTIONS count

For all accounts named by the statement, restricts the maximum number of simultaneous connections to the server by each account. A nonzero count specifies the limit for the account explicitly. If count is 0 (the default), the server determines the number of simultaneous connections for the account from the global value of the max_user_connections system variable. If max_user_connections is also zero, there is no limit for the account.

Password expiration options: You can expire an account password manually and establish its password expiration policy. Policy options do not expire the password. Instead, they determine how the server applies automatic expiration to the account based on password age, which is assessed from the date and time of the most recent account password change.

Password reuse options: You can restrict password reuse based on number of password changes, time elapsed, or both.

Password verification-required options: You can indicate whether attempts to change an account password must specify the current password, as verification that the user attempting to make the change actually knows the current password.

Incorrect-password failed-login tracking options: You can cause the server to track failed login attempts and temporarily lock accounts for which too many consecutive incorrect passwords are given. The required number of failures and the lock time are configurable.

PASSWORD EXPIRE

Immediately marks the password expired for all accounts named by the statement.

CREATE USER 'jeffrey'@'localhost' PASSWORD EXPIRE;

PASSWORD EXPIRE DEFAULT

Sets all accounts named by the statement so that the global expiration policy applies, as specified by the default_password_lifetime system variable.

CREATE USER 'jeffrey'@'localhost' PASSWORD EXPIRE DEFAULT;

PASSWORD EXPIRE NEVER

This expiration option overrides the global policy for all accounts named by the statement. For each, it disables password expiration so that the password never expires.

CREATE USER 'jeffrey'@'localhost' PASSWORD EXPIRE NEVER;

PASSWORD EXPIRE INTERVAL N DAY

This expiration option overrides the global policy for all accounts named by the statement. For each, it sets the password lifetime to N days. The following statement requires the password to be changed every 180 days:

CREATE USER 'jeffrey'@'localhost' PASSWORD EXPIRE INTERVAL 180 DAY;

PASSWORD HISTORY DEFAULT

Sets all accounts named by the statement so that the global policy about password history length applies, to prohibit reuse of passwords before the number of changes specified by the password_history system variable.

CREATE USER 'jeffrey'@'localhost' PASSWORD HISTORY DEFAULT;

PASSWORD HISTORY N

This history-length option overrides the global policy for all accounts named by the statement. For each, it sets the password history length to N passwords, to prohibit reusing any of the N most recently chosen passwords. The following statement prohibits reuse of any of the previous 6 passwords:

CREATE USER 'jeffrey'@'localhost' PASSWORD HISTORY 6;

PASSWORD REUSE INTERVAL DEFAULT

Sets all statements named by the account so that the global policy about time elapsed applies, to prohibit reuse of passwords newer than the number of days specified by the password_reuse_interval system variable.

CREATE USER 'jeffrey'@'localhost' PASSWORD REUSE INTERVAL DEFAULT;

PASSWORD REUSE INTERVAL N DAY

This time-elapsed option overrides the global policy for all accounts named by the statement. For each, it sets the password reuse interval to N days, to prohibit reuse of passwords newer than that many days. The following statement prohibits password reuse for 360 days:

CREATE USER 'jeffrey'@'localhost' PASSWORD REUSE INTERVAL 360 DAY;

PASSWORD REQUIRE CURRENT

This verification option overrides the global policy for all accounts named by the statement. For each, it requires that password changes specify the current password.

CREATE USER 'jeffrey'@'localhost' PASSWORD REQUIRE CURRENT;

PASSWORD REQUIRE CURRENT OPTIONAL

This verification option overrides the global policy for all accounts named by the statement. For each, it does not require that password changes specify the current password. (The current password may but need not be given.)

CREATE USER 'jeffrey'@'localhost' PASSWORD REQUIRE CURRENT OPTIONAL;

PASSWORD REQUIRE CURRENT DEFAULT

Sets all statements named by the account so that the global policy about password verification applies, as specified by the password_require_current system variable.

CREATE USER 'jeffrey'@'localhost' PASSWORD REQUIRE CURRENT DEFAULT;

FAILED_LOGIN_ATTEMPTS N

Whether to track account login attempts that specify an incorrect password. N must be a number from 0 to 32767. A value of 0 disables failed-login tracking. Values greater than 0 indicate how many consecutive password failures cause temporary account locking (if PASSWORD_LOCK_TIME is also nonzero).

PASSWORD_LOCK_TIME {N | UNBOUNDED}

How long to lock the account after too many consecutive login attempts provide an incorrect password. N must be a number from 0 to 32767, or UNBOUNDED. A value of 0 disables temporary account locking. Values greater than 0 indicate how long to lock the account in days. A value of UNBOUNDED causes the account locking duration to be unbounded; once locked, the account remains in a locked state until unlocked. For information about the conditions under which unlocking occurs, see Failed-Login Tracking and Temporary Account Locking.

User comment

To set a user comment, add COMMENT 'user_comment' to the CREATE USER statement, where user_comment is the text of the user comment.

Example (omitting any other options):

CREATE USER 'jon'@'localhost' COMMENT 'Some information about Jon';

User attribute

A user attribute is a JSON object made up of one or more key-value pairs, and is set by including ATTRIBUTE 'json_object' as part of CREATE USER. json_object must be a valid JSON object.

Example (omitting any other options):

CREATE USER 'jim'@'localhost'
    ATTRIBUTE '{"fname": "James", "lname": "Scott", "phone": "123-456-7890"}';

The plugin named in the original statement, if one was specified.

Otherwise, the default authentication plugin. In particular, if a user u1 already exists and uses a nondefault authentication plugin, the statement written to the binary log for CREATE USER IF NOT EXISTS u1 names the default authentication plugin. (If the statement written to the binary log must specify a nondefault authentication plugin for a user, include it in the original statement.)

CREATE USER ... IDENTIFIED WITH .. INITIAL AUTHENTICATION IDENTIFIED WITH ... statements are written to the binary log as CREATE USER .. IDENTIFIED WITH .. INITIAL AUTHENTICATION IDENTIFIED WITH .. AS 'password-hash', where the password-hash is the user-specified auth-string or the random password generated by server when the RANDOM PASSWORD clause is specified.