Package used
mariadb-5.2.7-Linux-X86_64.tar.gz

installed in a standalone user directory
grant all on . to root@'%' identifed by 'xxxx'

Appears only when connecting with tcp/ip
./bin/mysql -h 127.0.0.1 -u root -pxxxx -P 3304

Testing done so far to understand the issue :

• Connecting with socket
  pass
• Checking skip_networking and bind ( ok set to 0 in show variables) :
  failed
• replace with mysql-5.5.12 :
  pass
• replace with mysql-5.1.46
  pass
• install the same mariadb package on an intel architecture and suse and glibc-2.4-31.54
  pass
• show global status like '%connec%' report 0 for all aborded status

[puy@alpinix3 mariadb]$
telnet 127.0.0.1 3304
Trying 127.0.0.1...
Connected to localhost.localdomain (127.0.0.1).
Escape character is '^]'.
Connection closed by foreign host.

/data/puy/base/mariadb/bin/mysqld --defaults-file=/data/puy/base/data/instance_4/my.cnf --basedir=/home/puy/base/mariadb --datadir=/home/puy/base/data/instance_4/data --plugin-dir=/home/puy/base/mariadb/lib/plugin --log-error=/home/puy/base/data/instance_4/data/alpinix3.sdv.fr.err --pid-file=/home/puy/base/data/instance_4/data/alpinix3.sdv.fr.pid --socket=/home/puy/base/data/instance_4/mysql.sock --port=3304

[mysqld]
basedir=/home/puy/base/mysql-test
datadir=/home/puy/base/data/instance_4/data
socket=/home/puy/base/data/instance_4/mysql.sock
port=3304

processor : 7
vendor_id : AuthenticAMD
cpu family : 16
model : 9
model name : AMD Opteron(tm) Processor 6128 HE
stepping : 1
cpu MHz : 2000.157
cache size : 512 KB
physical id : 0
siblings : 8
core id : 0
cpu cores : 8
apicid : 20
initial apicid : 4
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 5
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 ht syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt pdpe1gb rdtscp lm 3dnowext 3dnow constant_tsc rep_good nonstop_tsc extd_apicid amd_dcm pni monitor cx16 popcnt lahf_lm cmp_legacy svm extapic cr8_legacy abm sse4a misalignsse 3dnowprefetch osvw ibs skinit wdt nodeid_msr
bogomips : 4000.13
TLB size : 1024 4K pages
clflush size : 64
cache_alignment : 64
address sizes : 48 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management: ts ttp tm stc 100mhzsteps hwpstate

Glibc :

glibc-2.5-49.el5_5.4

puy@alpinix3 mariadb]$ cat /proc/version
Linux version 2.6.33 (root@localhost) (gcc version 4.1.2 20080704 (Red Hat 4.1.2-46)) #1 SMP Mon Mar 8 15:49:19 CET 2010
[puy@alpinix3 mariadb]$ cat /etc/redhat-release
CentOS release 5.5 (Final)

ldd ./bin/mysqld
linux-vdso.so.1 => (0x00007fffccbef000)
libwrap.so.0 => /lib64/libwrap.so.0 (0x00007f298466b000)
libdl.so.2 => /lib64/libdl.so.2 (0x00007f2984467000)
libresolv.so.2 => /lib64/libresolv.so.2 (0x00007f2984252000)
libcrypt.so.1 => /lib64/libcrypt.so.1 (0x00007f298401a000)
libnsl.so.1 => /lib64/libnsl.so.1 (0x00007f2983e02000)
libpthread.so.0 => /lib64/libpthread.so.0 (0x00007f2983be7000)
librt.so.1 => /lib64/librt.so.1 (0x00007f29839de000)
libstdc+.so.6 => /usr/lib64/libstdc+.so.6 (0x00007f29836de000)
libm.so.6 => /lib64/libm.so.6 (0x00007f298345b000)
libc.so.6 => /lib64/libc.so.6 (0x00007f2983104000)
/lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 (0x00007f2984874000)
libgcc_s.so.1 => /lib64/libgcc_s.so.1 (0x00007f2982ef6000)

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