CVE-2026-6475

Published May 14, 2026

Last updated 7 days ago

Overview

Description
Symlink following in PostgreSQL pg_basebackup plain format and in pg_rewind allows an origin superuser to overwrite local files, e.g. /var/lib/postgres/.bashrc, that hijack the operating system account. It will remain the case that starting the server after these commands implicitly trusts the origin superuser, due to features like shared_preload_libraries. Hence, the attack has practical implications only if one takes relevant action between these commands and server start, like moving the files to a different VM or snapshotting the VM. Versions before PostgreSQL 18.4, 17.10, 16.14, 15.18, and 14.23 are affected.
Source
f86ef6dc-4d3a-42ad-8f28-e6d5547a5007
NVD status
Analyzed
Products
postgresql

Risk scores

CVSS 3.1

Type
Secondary
Base score
8.8
Impact score
5.9
Exploitability score
2.8
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Severity
HIGH

Weaknesses

f86ef6dc-4d3a-42ad-8f28-e6d5547a5007
CWE-61

Social media

Hype score
Not currently trending

Configurations

References

Sources include official advisories and independent security research.