basalt-26.3.2-rc-20260916: sql/stats: TestCacheAutoRefresh failed

sql/stats.TestCacheAutoRefresh [failed](https://mesolite.cluster.engflow.com/invocations/default/6d298377-987e-4619-be53-5ce590e72dc3?testReportRun=2&testReportShard=8&testReportAttempt=1#targets-Ly9wa2cvc3FsL3N0YXRzOnN0YXRzX3Rlc3Q=) on basalt-26.3.2-rc-20260916 @ [20b5b7762461dc7d59206ab797cd12d09c877eaa](https://github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/commits/20b5b7762461dc7d59206ab797cd12d09c877eaa):

```
=== RUN TestCacheAutoRefresh
test_log_scope.go:172: test logs captured to: outputs.zip/logTestCacheAutoRefresh3674793217
test_log_scope.go:82: use -show-logs to present logs inline
test_server_shim.go:168: automatically injected an external process virtual cluster under test; see comment at top of test_server_shim.go for details.
stats_cache_test.go:850: error executing query="CREATE DATABASE test" args=[]: ERROR: dial tcp 127.0.0.1:33191: connect: connection refused
panic.go:694: -- test log scope end --
test logs left over in: outputs.zip/logTestCacheAutoRefresh3674793217
--- FAIL: TestCacheAutoRefresh (1416.68s)
```

Parameters:
- attempt=1
- race=true
- run=2
- shard=8
Help

See also: [How To Investigate a Go Test Failure \(internal\)](https://cockroachlabs.atlassian.net/l/c/HgfXfJgM)

Same failure on other branches

- #175423 basalt-26.3: sql/stats: TestCacheAutoRefresh failed [C-test-failure O-robot T-sql-queries branch-basalt-26.3]
- #175419 basalt-26.3.2-rc-20260913: sql/stats: TestCacheAutoRefresh failed [C-test-failure O-robot T-sql-queries branch-basalt-26.3.2-rc-20260913]
- #174912 basalt-26.3.2-rc-20260908: sql/stats: TestCacheAutoRefresh failed [C-test-failure O-robot T-sql-queries branch-basalt-26.3.2-rc-20260908]

[This test on roachdash](https://roachdash.crdb.dev/?filter=status:open%20t:.*TestCacheAutoRefresh.*&sort=title+created&display=lastcommented+project) | [Improve this report!](https://github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/tree/master/pkg/cmd/bazci/githubpost/issues)

Start with stats_cache_test.go at TestCacheAutoRefresh and review the test_server_shim.go behavior referenced in the failure output. Inspect the linked invocation and captured test logs to determine why the database connection was refused. Done means the underlying failure is addressed and TestCacheAutoRefresh passes in the reported race configuration.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.