CURRENT_USER() returns the username and hostname. This account determines your access privileges. : CURRENT_USER « Information Functions « MySQL Tutorial

1. MySQL Tutorial
2. Information Functions
3. CURRENT_USER

The value of CURRENT_USER() can differ from the value of USER().

mysql>
mysql> SELECT USER();
+----------------+
| USER()         |
+----------------+
| root@localhost |
+----------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

mysql>
mysql> SELECT * FROM mysql.user;
+------------+------+----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-----------+-------------+---------------+--------------+-----------+------------+-----------------+------------+------------+--------------+------------+-----------------------+------------------+--------------+-----------------+------------------+------------------+----------------+---------------------+--------------------+------------------+----------+------------+-------------+--------------+---------------+-------------+-----------------+----------------------+
| Host       | User | Password | Select_priv | Insert_priv | Update_priv | Delete_priv | Create_priv | Drop_priv | Reload_priv | Shutdown_priv | Process_priv | File_priv | Grant_priv | References_priv | Index_priv | Alter_priv | Show_db_priv | Super_priv | Create_tmp_table_priv | Lock_tables_priv | Execute_priv | Repl_slave_priv | Repl_client_priv | Create_view_priv | Show_view_priv | Create_routine_priv | Alter_routine_priv | Create_user_priv | ssl_type | ssl_cipher | x509_issuer | x509_subject | max_questions | max_updates | max_connections | max_user_connections |
+------------+------+----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-----------+-------------+---------------+--------------+-----------+------------+-----------------+------------+------------+--------------+------------+-----------------------+------------------+--------------+-----------------+------------------+------------------+----------------+---------------------+--------------------+------------------+----------+------------+-------------+--------------+---------------+-------------+-----------------+----------------------+
| localhost  | root |          | Y           | Y           | Y           | Y           | Y           | Y         | Y           | Y             | Y            | Y         | Y          | Y               | Y          | Y          | Y            | Y          | Y                     | Y                | Y            | Y               | Y                | Y                | Y              | Y                   | Y                  | Y                |          |            |             |              |             0 |           0 |               0 |                    0 |
| production | root |          | Y           | Y           | Y           | Y           | Y           | Y         | Y           | Y             | Y            | Y         | Y          | Y               | Y          | Y          | Y            | Y          | Y                     | Y                | Y            | Y               | Y                | Y                | Y              | Y                   | Y                  | Y                |          |            |             |              |             0 |           0 |               0 |                    0 |
| 127.0.0.1  | root |          | Y           | Y           | Y           | Y           | Y           | Y         | Y           | Y             | Y            | Y         | Y          | Y               | Y          | Y          | Y            | Y          | Y                     | Y                | Y            | Y               | Y                | Y                | Y              | Y                   | Y                  | Y                |          |            |             |              |             0 |           0 |               0 |                    0 |
+------------+------+----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-----------+-------------+---------------+--------------+-----------+------------+-----------------+------------+------------+--------------+------------+-----------------------+------------------+--------------+-----------------+------------------+------------------+----------------+---------------------+--------------------+------------------+----------+------------+-------------+--------------+---------------+-------------+-----------------+----------------------+
3 rows in set (0.01 sec)

mysql>
mysql> SELECT CURRENT_USER();
+----------------+
| CURRENT_USER() |
+----------------+
| root@localhost |
+----------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)