Invalid DB connection string error

Oct 13, 2025 by leolavanderia.com.br 124 views

Is there an existing issue for this?

Yes, I have searched the existing issues and found that this problem is not addressed in the current Appsmith documentation or issues.

Description

Appsmith-EE version v1.63 crashes with the former APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL format, causing a crashloopbackoff state and rendering the application completely inoperable. This issue affects self-hosted Appsmith deployments using the Helm chart, specifically those using the SaaS Postgress DB and the <user>:<password>@<host>:<port> format for the APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL environment variable.

Setup

To reproduce this issue, follow these steps:

Appsmith-ee, self-hosted, deployed in k8s cluster using helm chart: Ensure that your Appsmith deployment is set up using the Helm chart version 3.6.2 and the Appsmith image version v1.62.
SaaS Postgress DB is used: Confirm that you are using a SaaS Postgress DB for your Appsmith deployment.
APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL format used: Verify that you are using the <user>:<password>@<host>:<port> format for the APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL environment variable.

Misbehavior

After updating the Appsmith container to version v1.63, you will observe the following misbehavior:

Crashloopbackoff state: The Appsmith container will enter a crashloopbackoff state, rendering the application completely inoperable.
Invalid DB connection string error: The logs will display an "Invalid DB connection string, error: Connection String: }" error message.
Connection string displayed unmasked: The contents of the APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL environment variable will be displayed unmasked in the logs, revealing sensitive information.

Expected result

The expected result is that the Appsmith container should not crash, and the old format of the APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL environment variable should be handled without errors. Additionally, the contents of the APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL environment variable should not be displayed or should be displayed masked, as it contains sensitive information.

Steps To Reproduce

To reproduce this issue, follow these steps:

Update appsmith image version from v1.62 to v1.63: Update the Appsmith image version from v1.62 to v1.63.

Public Sample App

No public sample app is available for this issue.

Environment

This issue is reported in a production environment.

Severity

The severity of this issue is critical, as it affects production apps and causes a crashloopbackoff state, rendering the application completely inoperable.

Issue video log

No issue video log is available for this issue.

Version

The Appsmith version affected by this issue is Self Hosted v1.63 (Enterprise Edition).

Solution

To resolve this issue, you can follow these steps:

Update the APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL environment variable: Update the APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL environment variable to use the correct format, which is jdbc:postgresql://<hostname>:<port>/<database_name>.
Verify the connection string: Verify that the connection string is correct and that the database credentials are valid.
Update the Appsmith documentation: Update the Appsmith documentation to reflect the correct format for the APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL environment variable.

Q: What is the issue with Appsmith-EE version v1.63?

A: The issue with Appsmith-EE version v1.63 is that it crashes with the former APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL format, causing a crashloopbackoff state and rendering the application completely inoperable.

Q: What is the former APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL format?

A: The former APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL format is <user>:<password>@<host>:<port>, which was used for approximately 9 months with constant updates.

Q: What is the correct format for the APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL environment variable?

A: The correct format for the APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL environment variable is jdbc:postgresql://<hostname>:<port>/<database_name>.

Q: Why is the connection string displayed unmasked in the logs?

A: The connection string is displayed unmasked in the logs because the old format of the APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL environment variable is not handled correctly by Appsmith-EE version v1.63.

Q: How can I resolve this issue?

A: To resolve this issue, you can update the APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL environment variable to use the correct format, verify the connection string, and update the Appsmith documentation to reflect the correct format.

Q: What is the severity of this issue?

A: The severity of this issue is critical, as it affects production apps and causes a crashloopbackoff state, rendering the application completely inoperable.

Q: Is there a public sample app available for this issue?

A: No, there is no public sample app available for this issue.

Q: What is the environment in which this issue is reported?

A: This issue is reported in a production environment.

Q: What is the version of Appsmith affected by this issue?

A: The Appsmith version affected by this issue is Self Hosted v1.63 (Enterprise Edition).

Q: How can I prevent this issue from occurring in the future?

A: To prevent this issue from occurring in the future, you can update the APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL environment variable to use the correct format and verify the connection string before updating the Appsmith image version.

Q: Is there a documentation update required for this issue?

A: Yes, there is a documentation update required for this issue to reflect the correct format for the APPSMITH_KEYCLOAK_DB_URL environment variable.

Q: Can I get help from the Appsmith community to resolve this issue?

A: Yes, you can get help from the Appsmith community to resolve this issue by posting a question on the Appsmith forum or reaching out to the Appsmith support team.

By following these Q&A, you should be able to understand the issue, its causes, and the steps required to resolve it. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to the Appsmith community or support team.